Chairman Forbes' Opening Statement Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces "Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request for Seapower and Projection Forces"
Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces made the following opening statement for today's hearing entitled "Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Request for Seapower and Projection Forces"
"I want to welcome all of our members and the distinguished panel of Navy and Marine Corps leaders for today's hearing.
We have testifying before us on the fiscal year 2015 budget request:
The Honorable Sean Stackley, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition;
Vice Admiral Joe Mulloy, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources; and
Lieutenant General Kenneth Glueck, Jr., Deputy Commandant for Combat Development, Integration, and Commanding General of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command.
Thank you all for testifying today and we look forward to your thoughts and insights on these important issues.
As to the FY16 budget request, I believe that the budget request is a good step forward to support our national defense but I am concerned that the overall administration's request does little to obviate the impact of sequestration. Unless this administration and Congress can begin meaningful negotiations on overall national budget direction, I am fearful that sequestration will continue doing grievous and long lasting harm to our national security. At a time of increased instability around the world, both in Iraq and Syria and countless locations throughout the world, it is time to place our service members before any partisan ideologies and ensure that our national security is secured.
As to specific elements of the budget request, I continue to have concern about the submarine industrial base and the significant workload that stands before us. The 30-year shipbuilding plan presumes a stiff ramp in FY19 with the start of construction of the Ohio class replacement program. This effort will require an almost 50% increase in our overall submarine industrial capacity. I think that we should review options to better manage the industrial base and to accelerate collateral submarine investments like the Virginia Payload Module.
I am also concerned about placement of up to 6 cruisers in this so called "phased modernization" plan. I continue to view with great skepticism the Navy's intent to put these cruisers into a long term layup status and I am not confident that the cruisers placed into this status will ever return to active service. I look forward to the Navy explaining to this subcommittee how reducing our cruiser force structure by 25% increases our national security.
As to the Marine Corps, I am also concerned about our amphibious lift capabilities both in terms of large deck amphibious ships and their supporting assault vessels. As to the large deck amphibious ships, I want to understand how stripping down a successful LPD-17 hull builds the requisite capability for the Marine Corps in the new LX(R) procurement plan. I also want to understand how the combination of Joint High Speed Vessels, Amphibious Combat Vehicles, LCAC and ship to shore connectors work in concert to support a combined lift effort. I believe we need to have some assurance that these programs are sufficiently resourced and are integrated into the overall defense plans.
Finally, I want to commend the Navy and Marine Corps team for continuing to place an emphasis on industrial base stability to the ship construction accounts. I think the overall acquisition plan that provides block procurements of essential national defense elements like the Virginia class submarine and Arleigh Burke class destroyer serve as a credible strategy to provide essential capabilities at a reduced cost. When we discuss acquisition reform on this committee, I can think of no better reform effort than to couple a long term procurement strategy with a stable appropriation stream. Building for the long term using stable requirements saves money.
Once again I want to thank our witness for participating in our hearing this afternoon and I look forward to discussing these important topics.
With that, I turn to my good friend and colleague, the ranking member of the subcommittee, Joe Courtney."
