FY-18 bill adds 2 more LCS

WASHINGTON - In a voice vote Nov. 16, the U.S. Senate okayed a nearly $700B defense spending bill for FY 2018 designed to enact 2.4% raises for servicemembers, increase the size of the military, fund new ships and aircraft and authorize new spending on missile defense, to the president’s desk ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The plan passed a major hurdle, but sets up a new fighting on how to pay for it. The plan surpasses the budget cap of $549B, and needs special legislative action to fund all new priorities. The FY-18 measure covers repairs for the two ships, USS John S. McCain and USS Fitzgerald, which were involved in deadly collisions this year. HII-Pascagoula, Miss., was awarded a $29.4M contract in October for the initial planning work to repair USS Fitzgerald. It directs $26.2B for 14 new ships, including $1.5B for Littoral Combat Ships, which is $900M and two LCS more than the administration’s request. It also includes $10.1B for the purchase of 90 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters - 20 more than the White House’s request - 56 F-35A, 24 F-35B, and 10 F-35C fighters. It directs another $5.6B for Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which is $2B more than the administration’s request, including funds for one more destroyer. (Source: Stars and Stripes 11/16/17) Gulf Coast Note: Austal USA builds the Independence class of LCS at its shipyard in Mobile, Ala. The bill also includes $299M for improvements to Florida’s military bases, including a special operation simulation center at Eglin AFB, a special operations simulator and fuselage training center at Hurlburt Field, and a fire station at Tyndall AFB near Panama City.