Senate Armed Services Committee News

The U.S. military's cost estimate to build a pier off Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid has risen to $320 million, a U.S. defense official and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.The figure, which has not been previously reported, illustrates the massive scale of a construction effort that the Pentagon has said involves about 1,000 U.S. service members, mostly from the Army and Navy.Still, the cost has roughly doubled from initial estimates earlier this year, according to a person familiar with the matter."The cost has not just risen.

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…

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.

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…

“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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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.

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 ...

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.

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…

U.S. President Donald Trump says he wants to build dozens of new warships in one of the biggest peace-time expansions of the U.S. Navy. But interviews with ship-builders, unions and a review of public and internal documents show major obstacles to that plan. The initiative could cost nearly $700 billion in government funding, take 30 years to complete and require hiring tens of thousands of skilled shipyard workers - many of whom don't exist yet because they still need to be hired and trained, according to the interviews and the documents reviewed. Trump has vowed a huge build-up of the U.S. military to project American power in the face of an emboldened China and Russia. That includes expanding the Navy to 350 warships from 275 today.

By a 98-1 vote, the Senate confirmed retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis to be the 26th secretary of defense Jan. 20, and Vice President Michael R. Pence administered his oath of office shortly afterward.R. Pence administered his oath of office shortly afterward. Mattis is the first retired general officer to hold the position since General of the Army George C. Marshall in the early 1950s. Congress passed a waiver for the retired four-star general to serve in the position, because law requires former service members to have been out of uniform for at least seven years to serve as defense secretary. Mattis retired from the Marine Corps in 2013. Mattis is a veteran of the Gulf War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. His military career culminated with service as commander of U.S.

China will be able to project "substantial offensive military power" from artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea's disputed Spratly Islands within months, the director of U.S. national intelligence said. In a Feb. 23 letter to John McCain, chair of the U.S. "Based on the pace and scope of construction at these outposts, China will be able to deploy a range of offensive and defensive military capabilities and support increased PLAN and CCG presence beginning in 2016," Clapper said in the letter released this week, using acronyms for the Chinese navy and coastguard. "Once these facilities are completed by the end of 2016 or early 2017, China will have significant capacity to quickly project substantial offensive military power to the region," Clapper added.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) today hosted Sen. James M. Inhofe, R-Okla., for a tour of the company's Newport News Shipbuilding division. The senator, a military veteran, also met over breakfast with sailors from Oklahoma serving aboard the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). Ford is under construction at Newport News and scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Navy in 2016. Lincoln is undergoing a refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) at the shipyard until 2016. Newport News Shipbuilding President Matt Mulherin led the tour, which included a visit to one of the shipyard's aircraft carrier construction facilities, a demonstration of the virtual design tool being used to design Ford-class aircraft carriers and a tour of Ford.

The American Maritime Partnership (AMP), the voice of the domestic maritime industry, today recognized U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) with the 2016 Champion of Maritime Award. Sen. Hirono is honored for her long-standing support and commitment to the men and women of American Maritime in her work on the Senate Armed Services Committee and as a Ranking Member of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Energy. Sen. Hirono understands the critical role the domestic maritime industry plays not just in Hawaii, but also in the nation’s economic, national and homeland security. “America’s maritime industry is vital to our island state, accounting for thousands of jobs and infusing $1.8 billion into Hawaii’s economy each year.

The United States said on Friday that China had placed mobile artillery weapons systems on a reclaimed island in the disputed South China Sea, a development that Republican Sen. Brent Colburn, a Pentagon spokesman traveling with Defense Secretary Ash Carter, said the United States was aware of the weapons. McCain, chairman of the Senate's Armed Services Committee, said the move would escalate tensions but not lead to conflict. "It is a disturbing development and escalatory development, one which heightens our need to make the Chinese understand that their actions are in violation of international law and their actions are going to be condemned by everyone in the world," he said at a news conference in Ho Chi Minh City.

Directors of major commercial ports in the Great Lakes region called on Congress to end years of regulatory chaos surrounding ballast water management. In a joint letter issued late yesterday, 14 port directors urged the Senate Armed Services Committee to include ballast regulatory reform in the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Known as the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA), these regulatory reforms were included in the House-passed NDAA, but not the Senate-passed version. Currently, a House-Senate conference committee is working to hammer-out a final version of the legislation. When not fully loaded, cargo ships must take on water (ballast) to maintain their stability.

The year 2015 has been a busy year for The American Waterways Operators, the national trade association for the tugboat, towboat and barge industry, and for the industry AWO is privileged to represent. It’s a dynamic time for a vital industry that constitutes the largest segment of the U.S. domestic fleet, as companies throughout the industry are investing heavily to meet evolving customer needs; the industry stands on the verge of historic regulatory change; and AWO pursues an active public policy agenda to support members’ needs for predictable and practicable government policy.

The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific said on Friday the United States must carry out freedom of navigation patrols throughout the Asia Pacific, but declined to say whether it planned go within 12 nautical miles of China's artificial islands in the South China Sea. Asked about reports that the United States planned to challenge 12-nautical mile limits around China's artificial islands, he replied: "I will not confirm that. Pressed on the issue, Harris said, "I believe that we should exercise freedom of navigation wherever we need to.