Wicker proposal to protect shipbuilding

Ahead of next week’s release of FY 2021 budget requests, which may see cuts in Navy spending, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is proposing legislation that would protect the Navy’s 355-ship plans. Wicker, who sponsored legislation in 2017 that required the Navy to aim for a 355-ship fleet, introduced on Feb. 6 the Securing the Homeland by Increasing our Power on the Seas (SHIPS) Implementation Act. It builds upon that 2017 SHIPS Act by authorizing a large number of authorities to keep costs down, introducing new capabilities faster, and urging that the Defense Department and Congress put resources towards the Navy’s plans to grow the fleet. It adds a non-binding “sense of Congress” recommendation that a certain number of ships should be bought over the next five years, and asks the Navy to continue on its most recent long-range shipbuilding plan. There are 293 ships currently in the fleet. The SHIPS Implementation Act asks the Navy to start construction on:12 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers; 10 Virginia-class submarines; two Columbia-class submarines; three San Antonio-class amphibious ships; one LHA-class amphibious ship; six John Lewis-class fleet oilers; and five guided-missile frigates instead of 10. A congressional aide told USNI News that the SASC was interested in taking a conservative approach to the new frigate program, planning for just one a year until a contractor is selected later this year. The SHIPS Act recommends buying about the same number of ships in the Navy’s long-range plans, but likely means the legislation is meant to protect against major cuts. The aide also said that back-and-forth memos seem to indicate the Navy could be facing 20 percent cuts to its shipbuilding budget over five years. “It is time for Congress to get serious about investing in our fleet and give our sailors and Marines the tools they need to stay ahead of those who wish us harm,” Wicker said in a news release. “Over time, my proposal would help to decrease risk for the Navy and provide greater certainty for the industrial base.” The legislation would allow the Navy to enter into a multi-year contract for an America-class amphibious assault ship and three San Antonio-class LPD Flight II ships – both built at HII-Ingalls Shipbuilding in Wicker’s home state of Mississippi. The aide also said that additional savings of up to 10 percent per hull could be achieved through multi-year buys. Multi-year contracts for all mature ship classes would provide further stability and predictability to industry. (Source: USNI News 02/06/29) https://news.usni.org/2020/02/06/wicker-bill-prioritizes-funding-to-reach-355-ship-navy-fleet