Opening Statements

Today, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA), ranking member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, made the following remarks, as prepared for delivery, during the Subcommittee's joint hearing with the Subcommittee on Readiness on sealift and mobility requirements:

"I want to thank Chairman Courtney for yielding and especially thank Chairman Garamendi and Ranking Member Lamborn for their enduring interest in our nation's logistics capabilities. I can think of no better panel to discuss sealift and airlift than what we have before us today.

"As I assess the state of our nation's military logistics, there are many areas that allow us to rapidly project power to include our tanker and airlift forces. These capabilities are foundational to a great power, and I believe that we have done a good job of providing this force. However, it is essential that our subcommittees take aggressive action to staunch the bleeding occurring in our logistics forces today.

"For example, our lack of strategic vision in our nation's sealift forces is particularly wanton. I think that this lack of vision is a relic to years of strategic hubris and complacency. My friends, times are rapidly changing. We continue to support a legacy sealift force that is designed for regional conflict and presumes sea control. Both of these assumptions have been invalidated with our new national defense strategy. Yet, it is almost as if the Navy forgot to read the strategy when they put together their budget plan. Or worse, I think that we have a strategic seam between the Army and the Navy. For me, I think that the Navy's budget is overtaxed with support for the $110 billion Columbia ballistic missile submarine program. I believe it is time for the Army to pick up the budget responsibility for the surge sealift forces that uniquely support the Army's ability to go to war.

"As to our subcommittee's response to our surge sealift plight, I am opposed with the administration's legislative proposal that would solely rely on procuring used, foreign built vessels to recapitalize our surge sealift. I continue to support a combination of procuring used vessels through the National Defense Sealift Fund and procuring new sealift vessels. At the same time, I do not believe that we can sustain a new construction option to support the administration's $550 million per hull assessment and look forward to perusing other options that reduce this $25 billion new construction recapitalization effort.

"As for our air logistics component, while I am satisfied with our current aviation refueling capacity, I think that we need to tailor a response to mitigate the KC-46A deficiencies. There are some that believe that we should cancel the KC-46A aircraft contract in its entirety. I do not believe that is a prudent strategy. However, until we can deliver a capable KC-46A aircraft, I think that we need to slow both the ordering and delivery of KC-46A aircraft, we need to retain legacy tankers to cover the shortfalls, and we need to ensure that we have adequate competition at the conclusion of the current KC-46A contract. And, while I could sit here and pontificate about the shortfalls of this program, simply put, I think we need to now look to make the best of a bad situation, and one that is, sadly, of our own making.

"In conclusion, I am reminded of a quote from Alexander the Great when reflecting on his extensive logistic trains required to resupply his battle lines he indicated, 'My logisticians are a humorless lot … they know if my campaign fails, they are the first ones I will slay.' While I don't espouse the slaying of our logisticians, I think it clearly paints an indomitable reality that a failed logistical plan will allow potential adversaries to dictate the circumstances of future warfare… a future which our great United States of America can ill afford. I believe it is essential that we take aggressive steps in the next National Defense Authorization Act to staunch the bleeding and address these substantial logistics issues.

"Again, I appreciate the Chairman Courtney and Garamendi's support for having this important hearing and I yield back the balance of my time."
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