Seapower - September 2007

he expressed optimism that the annual spending measure would pass by the start of the fiscal year.

“I sure hope so,” Young said when asked if they could wrap up work by Oct. 1.

For the authorizers, passing the bill this year is more a matter of history than urgency. The annual authorization is not considered a “must-pass” piece of legislation on par with spending bills because the military would continue to receive its funds even without an authorization.

But the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have passed a defense authorization bill every year for the last 45 years — a track record that has given the panels more clout than many other authorization committees.

Senate Armed Services ranking member John McCain, R-Ariz., who has called moves to set a withdrawal date from Iraq a “disaster of monumental consequences,” implored the Senate not to “break a 45-year custom here that we provide the much-needed authorization for the men and women in our defense establishment and provide for our nation’s security.”

Mullen, Cartwright
Appointments Approved

As one of its last orders of business before adjourning for the August recess, the Senate approved Adm. Mike Mullen, chief of naval operations (CNO), to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The voice vote on the nomination underscored widespread support for Mullen, who has long been a popular figure on Capitol Hill, in part, for his efforts to control cost overruns and schedule delays that have become common in naval shipbuilding programs.

President Bush has nominated Adm. Gary Roughead to become the next CNO. Roughead is the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va.

Adm. Mike Mullen testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing for appointment as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The chamber also approved Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, to become the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Mullen will replace Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, who is expected to retire Oct. 1, while Cartwright will take over for Adm. Edmund Giam-bastiani, who retired in late July.

During a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing July 31 that focused largely on the Iraq war, both men received high praise from Republicans and Democrats. Mullen said the war would be his No. 1 priority as the nation’s top military commander.

Shipbuilding Plus-up
Awaits Senate Mark-up

The House of Representatives departed for its August recess having approved a $459 billion 2008 defense spending bill that added $3.7 billion to the ship procurement accounts over the Navy’s request in its budget submission.

The bill would add three Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ships — built by General Dynamics National Steel & Shipbuilding — and one San

Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship — built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems — along with advanced procurement for a second Virginia-class attack submarine, built by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Northrop Grumman Newport News.

U.S. NAVY

The Navy originally had requested $13.7 billion for one submarine, one San Antonio-class ship, one Lewis and Clark-class ship, three Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) and the first increment of funding for the first next-generation aircraft carrier, CVN 78.

The increase in Lewis and Clark ships is designed to support build-up of the future Maritime Prepositioning Force, according to the House Armed Services Committee’s authorization.

The House reduced funding for the LCS to one ship in view of the program’s cost overruns.

The Navy, which seeks to contain the cost of a Virginia-class submarine below $2 billion per boat, had planned to delay increasing the rate of production to two per year until 2012.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to act on its companion bill upon return from recess in September.

Pentagon Wants
$5.3 Billion for MRAPs

The Pentagon has requested another $5.3 billion next year for the Mine Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles, which offer far better protection against roadside bombs than the military’s fleet of up-armored Humvees.

The money would be used to buy more of the vehicles for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan and pay for two years of expected maintenance and repair, Deputy Defense Secretary England said July 31.