Senators Want More Details on 2-Carrier Buy, LCS Requirement Before Supporting Additional Shipbuilding Funds
The Senate Armed Services Committee is looking for more information from the Navy before it will support buying additional ships in Fiscal Year 2019, which its House counterparts wholeheartedly endorsed doing.
The Navy requested 10 ships in its FY 2019 request. The House Armed Services Committee earlier this month added the authority to buy three more – two Littoral Combat Ships and an aircraft carrier – and paved the way for additional ships in the Future Years Defense Program.
The Senate committee is taking a more measured approach in its version of the bill, which the committee marked up this week and will be filed with the full Senate for a floor debate and vote after the Memorial Day holiday. SASC’s bill, according to a bill summary, supports only the 10 ships the Navy requested, as well as some additional advance procurement and long lead-time material funding beyond the budget request.
Speaking to reporters on background today, SASC staffers said the committee wanted to better understand the current status of the aircraft carrier and LCS programs before supporting any spending beyond the Navy’s formal 2019 budget request.
https:// news.usni.org/2018/05/25/33886#more-33886