Navy readiness tops ship buys

The Navy’s $180 billion budget request for FY 2018 calls for improving readiness and modest aircraft and ship purchases, but a bit of a surprise in the form of a 2.1 percent pay raise for military personnel. The overall Pentagon budget was $639B. The Navy’s part was up $6B. The Navy, Marines nor Pentagon included five-year funding projections. The future-years defense program (FYDP) profile is an indicator to industry and Congress on military priorities beyond the current FY. Navy’s submission reduces shipbuilding by $1.2B: For two submarines, two DDG-51 destroyers - part of a 10-ship multi-year buy between Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Miss., and General Dynamics Bath (Maine) Iron Works – two Ford-class carriers, and one Littoral Combat Ship. The Navy had said it wanted three LCS to keep Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., and Marinette (Wis.) Marine yards viable ahead of a future frigate construction contract in 2020. The aviation submissions included four (vice six) F-35C carrier variant Joint Strike Fighters; 20 Marine F-35Bs; and 14 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. (Source: U.S. Naval Institute News 05/23/17) U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) blasted President Trump’s budget calling the overall proposal “dead on arrival” in the Senate.