House and Senate appropriators have agreed to a final $675 billion fiscal year 2019 defense spending measure that includes the purchase of 93 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, 16 more than the Pentagon's request, and three Littoral Combat Ships, two beyond what was requested for FY-19. Capitol Hill staffers said the increases in the bill were further evidence that influential lawmakers have the power to deliver for their home states. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35, has a large assembly...
