Press Releases

Dear Friend -

As Chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, my top priority is growing the Navy's Fleet to 355 ships. That is the number of ships Naval leaders told Congress they need to adequately deter our adversaries, support our allies, and respond to threats and humanitarian challenges around the globe.

I included language in the recently-passed defense authorization that would codify that the policy of the United States is to have no fewer than 355 ships in the fleet. Two important areas of focus as we grow the fleet are in aircraft carriers and attack submarines.

I outlined why a 355 ship Navy is the "surest guaranty of peace" and the important role aircraft carriers and attack submarines must play in keeping our nation safe in an opinion piece for the Daily Press. You can read the full article below.

Sincerely,

Rob



July 18, 2017
By: Rep. Rob Wittman
Wittman: Strong Navy is best guaranty

Admiral George Dewey, hero of Manila Bay and the only man to achieve the rank of "Admiral of the Navy," once said, "A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace." When one looks around the world and assesses the current threat environment, a guaranty of peace should be an appealing proposition.

We face a wide array of ever more sophisticated threats from nations such as China, Iran, Russia and North Korea. In addition, the Middle East continues to be an area of conflict, requiring United States air and naval support.

A larger, more advanced naval fleet is necessary to not only meet the growing demands of our combatant commanders who face increasingly complex challenges but also to provide U.S. presence, stability and reassurance to our allies around the world.

That is why I introduced the "Securing the Homeland by Increasing our Power on the Seas" Act or "SHIPS" Act. This bill will codify that it is the policy of the United States to have no fewer than 355 ships in the Navy's fleet. The bill's language was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, which passed the House on Friday.

A fleet of this size will require the right mix of ships and capabilities. The Navy has provided direction for that mix in its force structure assessment, which will serve as our guide for the path to 355 vessels. Two critical areas of the buildup I want to emphasize are in aircraft carriers and attack submarines.

While the Navy has indicated a need for 66 attack submarines, based on current projections, the force is projected to drop to 41 attack submarines by the year 2029. This outcome is unacceptable. We will take action in this year's National Defense Authorization Act to increase the number of attack submarines in order to sustain a strong undersea presence.

Likewise, the Navy's goal is to eventually get to 12 aircraft carriers. Currently, we have 10 carriers in active service, with the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) completing its sea trials and awaiting commission. We must maintain our commitment to closing the carrier gap because our carriers are not just effective, they represent U.S. naval might abroad and allow us to project force in multiple theaters simultaneously.

Building naval vessels is not a cheap proposition. And so we must provide a defense and Naval budget that puts us on an achievable path. While the administration's FY18 budget proposal does increase the base defense budget, I'm concerned that the modest increase does not align with the Congressional Budget Office's financial analysis for a 355-ship Navy. That is why the House defense authorization will recommend an additional five ships to the president's budget request, for a total of 13 ships in FY18.

The last component necessary to achieve our goal is a ready industrial base. All of the conversations I have had left me with the impression that our industrial base has the capacity to expand operations and build more ships. We need to capitalize on those hot production lines, taking full advantage of what I refer to as the as the "sweet spot" that strikes the proper balance between new shipbuilding and current ship repair.

The SHIPS Act sends a clear signal to our Navy and Marine corps, the men and women who work in American shipyards, our allies and our adversaries that the United States intends to maintain our status as the most powerful Navy the world.

Congressman Wittman serves as chairman of the House subcommittee that oversees the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force.


http://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/local-voices/dp-nws-oped-wittman-0719-20170718-story.html