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Armed Services Committee News

14 Sep 2023

Wicker Urges Navy Nominee to Focus on Shipbuilding

© Joseph Creamer / Adobe Stock

Roger Wicker, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi, urged Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa M. Franchetti to focus on shipbuilding and the expansion of the nation's naval forces.Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Thursday led a full committee hearing examining the nomination of Franchetti to become the next Chief of Naval Operations.In his remarks, Wicker observed that China’s naval buildup and the United States’ shrinking Navy leave our…

27 Jun 2023

Titan Announces Public Affairs Team Changes

Frank Collins

Ship repair services provider Titan has announced that Frank Collins will join the company as Senior Vice President, Government and Public Affairs.Collins will replace long-time Vigor Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Jill Mackie, who has announced her retirement effective the end of June. Additionally, Benton Strong was recently named Director of Public Affairs, responsible for all communications, as well as state and local government affairs across all Titan companies including of Vigor…

22 May 2023

Time to Meet the US Mariner Shortage Head On

(Photo: Alpha Hernandez / U.S. Marine Corps)

We have a national and economic security crisis on our hands. It is time for Washington policymakers to stop dancing around the facts and looking for small fixes. The U.S. mariner shortage is real and it poses an unescapable threat not only to our ability to establish lines of communication to the U.S. warfighter, but also to our nation’s ability to project power through international trade.Two Congressional hearings held on March 28 illustrate the challenge. First, General Van Ovost…

05 Dec 2022

SCA Names Frank Collins Senior Defense Advisor

Frank Collins (Photo: SCA)

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance and repair industry, announced Frank Collins as Senior Defense Advisor, overseeing the organization’s national ship repair and security, as well as the industry workforce development and education initiatives.Frank Collins is an accomplished strategic business consultant with over 36 years of public and private sector experience in the ship repair industry. Collins served as Chief Executive Officer of United States Marine Preservation…

02 Nov 2022

US Mid-term Elections Bring Changes, Uncertainty in Congressional Maritime Leadership

© chris / Adobe Stock

Regardless of whether the Republicans seize or the Democrats maintain control of the House and Senate, there is a guarantee that changes in leadership will occur in some of the key Congressional leadership positions that will impact the maritime industry. Two of the most significant Congressional committees of jurisdiction are the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (House T&I) and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate Commerce). Both committees have jurisdiction over the U.S.

28 Jul 2022

US Navy: Building Small Combatants to Create Force Structure and Capability

The Littoral Combat Ship has been made more lethal with the addition of the Naval Strike Mis-sile, seen here installed on USS Charleston (LCS 18).   (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign James French)

The U.S. Navy needs more ships. And that means the Navy has to build more ships than it is decommissioning.The sea service has a stated a goal of 355 ships, and as many as 500 and more when unmanned platforms are counted. There are 298 ships in the fleet today. For surface ships, this number includes a high-low mix of highly capable large surface combatants, and smaller ships such as littoral combat ships LCS).The Navy’s smallest combatants are the 330-ton, 197-foot coastal patrol boats (PCs). Up until recently, ten of them have been serving in the Middle East with the U.S.

25 Jul 2022

Russian Missiles Hit Ukraine Port

© Valentin Kundeus / Adobe Stock

Russian missiles hit Ukraine's southern port of Odesa on Saturday, the Ukrainian military said, threatening a deal signed just a day earlier to unblock grain exports from Black Sea ports and ease global food shortages caused by the war.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called the strike blatant "barbarism" showing Moscow could not be trusted to implement the deal. However, public broadcaster Suspilne quoted the Ukrainian military as saying the missiles had not caused significant…

24 Mar 2022

Wicker Probes US Navy Shipbuilding Needs In Committee Hearing

(Photo: office of U.S. Senator Roger Wicker)

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee participated in a Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday to consider pending nominations for the Department of Defense.At the hearing, Wicker discussed the importance of growing the capability and capacity of the U.S. Navy’s fleet with Erik Raven, nominee for Under Secretary of the Navy, and William LaPlante, nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.In one exchange…

11 Feb 2022

U.S. Navy: DDG(X) is a Large Surface Combatant with Room to Grow

The future guided-missile destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) is launched, June 4, 2021, at Huntington Ingalls Industries, Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss. Jack H. Lucas is the first Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer to be built in the Flight III configuration. The Flight III upgrade is centered on the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar and incorporates upgrades that provide enhanced warfighting capability. The Flight III baseline begins with DDG 125 and will c

“DDG-51 hull form is maxed out in nearly every mission area. Meanwhile, the threat marches on.”Rear Adm. Paul Schlise, director for surface warfareThe U.S. Navy’s highly successful USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) surface combatant program is still going strong and growing in capability. Nearly 40 years later, new ships are still being built. But, the navy said, the ship cannot support the systems of tomorrow needed to meet the future threat.“DDG 51 has been in production for over 40 years with basically the same hull we started with in 1985…

16 Sep 2021

Prefabrication of Federal Shipbuilding Project Funding

Fincantieri Marinette Marine is building the U.S. Navy’s Constellation class frigates (Image: U.S. Navy)

Initial appropriations discussions are underway for Fiscal Year 2022, with a continued focus on federal shipbuilding programs. It has been rough going for the Navy as Congress raised questions about the President’s commitment to the Navy’s long-term shipbuilding program. Meanwhile, House appropriators are seemingly focused on continuing shipbuilding successes at the Maritime Administration and Coast Guard. With billions of dollars in the balance, the U.S. shipbuilding industry…

11 May 2021

OpEd: Navy Infrastructure Needs a Boost from Congress

FILE PHOTO: Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Mississippi (Photo: Derek Fountain / HII)

America is home to some of the finest shipbuilders in the world. This industry is becoming increasingly vital to our national security as we seek to build a larger Navy capable of confronting China. Unfortunately, our shipyards are aging and are too small to expand our fleet at the pace that is needed. As lawmakers consider what to include in an upcoming infrastructure bill, I am leading a bipartisan effort to provide a significant boost to infrastructure at our nation’s shipyards.My proposal…

07 May 2020

Wicker Urges Congress to Stay on Course to 355 Ship Navy

File photo: U.S. Senator Roger Wicker at the Ingalls Shipyard in 2015 (Photo: Andrew Young/HII)

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., on Thursday participated in a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to consider nominations for the Department of Defense. At the hearing, Wicker pressed members of the committee and the nominees to devote more resources to meeting the needs of America’s military, including shipbuilding and aviation.At the hearing, Wicker asked Kenneth Braithwaite, nominee for Secretary of the Navy, to comment on his support for a 355-ship Navy.“I look to a role as being the chief advocate to build a fleet to have greater than 355 ships…

06 May 2020

US Rearms to Nullify China's Missile Supremacy

File photo: A Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) is launched from the guided missile cruiser USS Cape St. George in the eastern Mediterranean Sea March 23, 2003. (U.S. Navy photo by Kenneth Moll)

As Washington and Beijing trade barbs over the coronavirus pandemic, a longer-term struggle between the two Pacific powers is at a turning point, as the United States rolls out new weapons and strategy in a bid to close a wide missile gap with China.The United States has largely stood by in recent decades as China dramatically expanded its military firepower. Now, having shed the constraints of a Cold War-era arms control treaty, the Trump administration is planning to deploy long-range…

27 Apr 2020

Navy Wants to Reinstate Fired Captain of Coronavirus-hit Carrier

File photo: Capt. Brett Crozier, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), addresses the crew during an all-hands call on the ship’s flight deck in November 2019 (U.S. Navy photo by Nicholas Huynh)

In an extraordinary reversal, the U.S. Navy has recommended reinstating the fired captain of the coronavirus-hit aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, whose crew hailed him as their hero for risking his job to safeguard their lives, officials said on Friday.The Navy’s leadership made the recommendation to reinstate Captain Brett Crozier to Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday, just three weeks after Crozier was relieved of command after the leak of a letter he wrote calling on the Navy for stronger measures to protect the crew…

07 Apr 2020

Trump Says May Jump Into Navy Furor After Captain Ridiculed in Speech

File photo: President Donald Trump speaks during an event at Joint Base Andrews, Md., December 20, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Spencer Slocum)

U.S. President Donald Trump said he may get involved in a deepening crisis in the Navy after its top civilian on Monday ridiculed a revered former commander whose letter pleading for help for his coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier was leaked to the public.In a surprise speech to crew members of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt that was meant to be a private address, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly defended his decision to relieve Captain Brett Crozier of his command…

24 Jul 2019

Wicker Votes to Confirm Esper as Secretary of Defense

Photo: wicker.senate.gov

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has voted to confirm Dr. Mark Esper as Secretary of Defense.“Mark Esper’s experiences as a West Point graduate, combat veteran of the Gulf War, defense industry professional, and as the Secretary of the Army have prepared him well to serve as our next Secretary of Defense,” Wicker said. “Secretary Esper will be an outstanding leader for the Pentagon at a time when our national security faces many challenges and growing threats.

24 May 2019

U.S. Deploys Troops to Middle East, Blames Iran for Tanker Attacks

The United States on Friday announced the deployment of 1,500 troops to the Middle East, describing it as an effort to bolster defenses against Iran as it accused the country's Revolutionary Guards of direct responsibility for this month's tanker attacks.President Donald Trump's administration also invoked the threat from Iran to declare a national security-related emergency that would clear the sale of billions of dollars' worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries without required congressional approval.The actions were the latest by the Trump administration as it highlights what it sees as a threat of potential attack by Iran…

25 Apr 2019

OP/ED: The Jones Act is Worth Fighting For

File Image: Congressman John Garamendi at a recent speech at the California Maritime Academy.

The President says he wants to make American great again, so why is he trying to destroy the principal support system for America’s maritime industry? This week, we learned that President Trump is “seriously considering” issuing a broad waiver for the Jones Act, a critical law that requires domestic shipping in the U.S. to occur on ships that are built in the United States, fly the U.S. flag, and are operated by crews consisting of at least 75 percent American citizens.I served as the top Democrat on the House Subcommittee of Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation for six years.

19 Mar 2018

US Navy Asks Huntington Ingalls for Pricing on Two Aircraft Carriers

Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) departs Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding for builder’s sea trials in April 2017 (U.S. Navy photo by Christopher Delano)

The U.S. Navy asked shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries on Monday for detailed pricing on the cost of two aircraft carriers, showing the Trump administration is taking a serious look at doubling its order for the most expensive ship in the U.S. fleet. The Navy’s request seeks to determine the savings achievable with a two-ship buy. “This opportunity for a two-ship contract is dependent on significant savings that the shipbuilding industry and government must demonstrate,” said James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research development and acquisitions.

01 Nov 2017

Wicker Calls for 355-Ship Navy

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss.

Speaking in front of the Senate, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Seapower Subcommittee, said the requirement for a 355-ship Navy is clear, especially in light of the recent, fatal accidents involving the USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain. In response to these incidents, the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson, directed that a comprehensive review take place. On Tuesday, Wicker and other members of the Senate Armed Services Committee have been briefed on those findings. The Navy is scheduled to make the review public later this week.

19 Sep 2017

Are US Navy Accidents Linked to Budget Caps?

Visible damage to the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain, which was involved in a collision with a merchant vessel while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. (U.S. Navy photo by Joshua Fulton)

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Monday that he was working to see if there was a link between a spate of recent military accidents and budget caps, but said he could not draw a direct line at this time. Since June, more than 70 U.S. service members have either been killed or injured in training or non-combat accidents, ranging from two naval collisions in Asia to a Marine Corps transport plane crash in rural Mississippi. “I am not willing to say right now that there is a direct line between sequestration and what has happened. I am willing to say ...

29 Jun 2017

Wicker’s SHIPS Act Included in Defense Bill

Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Pascagoula, Miss. (File photo: HII)

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Seapower Subcommittee, announced that he successfully added his “SHIPS Act” proposal to help the Navy reach its requirement of a 355-ship fleet in this year’s “National Defense Authorization Act” (NDAA). The Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously approved the national defense bill, authorizing $640 billion in overall funding for America’s servicemembers, military installations and industrial base. It now awaits consideration by the full Senate.

15 Jun 2017

Wicker Meets With Trump’s Choice for Navy Secretary

From left: Roger Wicker with Richard Spencer (Photo: Sen. Wicker’s office)

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Chairman of the Senate Seapower Subcommittee, today met with Richard Spencer regarding his nomination to be President Donald Trump’s Secretary of the Navy. “Mr. Spencer and I had an encouraging meeting,” Wicker said. “I reiterated my commitment to helping the President and the Navy build a larger, more modern fleet that can meet growing demands around the world. I was pleased to learn that Mr. Spencer shares that goal. Wicker is leading the…