SHIPS Act: 355 Ship Navy Gets Legislative Mandate
The push to rebuild the U.S. Navy received a boost today when U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Congressman Rob Wittman, R-Va., introduced bicameral, bipartisan legislation that would make it the policy of the United States to achieve the Navy’s requirement of 355 ships. Under the “Securing the Homeland by Increasing our Power on the Seas (SHIPS) Act,” the fleet would be comprised of the optimal mix of platforms, with funding levels subject to annual appropriations. Currently, 276 ships are in the battle fleet.
GSSC Announces Fall Meeting
The Gulf States Shipbuilders Consortium (GSSC) announced that its fall meeting will be held October 18-19, at the Holiday Inn in Mobile’s historic district. Highlights of the meeting include a presentation by U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne (R-Fairhope). Byrne will deliver an Update from Washington at the official meeting kick-off at the recently opened GulfQuest Maritime Museum on Oct. 18. Byrne is a member of the prestigious House Rules Committee, Committee on Armed Services, and Committee on Education and the Workforce and is a member of the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus.
Future LCS Charleston’s Keel Authenticated
A ceremony was hosted to celebrate the keel authentication of the U.S. Navy's future USS Charleston (LCS 18), the ninth Independence variant littoral combat ship, June 28. Charlotte Riley, wife of former Charleston mayor Joseph Riley, serves as the ship's sponsor and honorary member and advocate for the crew. U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne served as the honorary keel authenticator during the ceremony and was present to weld his initials into the keel plate. “The future USS Charleston stands as a testament to the strong and resilient spirit of her namesake city,” said Capt.
Reps. Byrne and Palazzo Visit Ingalls Shipbuilding
Reps. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala., and Steven Palazzo, R-Miss., visited Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division Wednesday. The congressmen, both members of the House Armed Services Committee, met with shipbuilders and were briefed on the construction processes for the four different classes of military ships built at Ingalls. The Congressmen toured the shipyard and visited various shops where ship units are assembled. They also were given a tour of the amphibious transport dock John P. Murtha (LPD 26), which will launch later this year.
SSI Speaks in Washington about LCS Program Cuts
SSI USA Director of Operations Patrick Roberts recently had meetings with U.S. senators, congressmen and navy brass to discuss the upcoming Pentagon Department of Defense Budget as it relates to the U.S. Navy shipbuilding programs. It was noted that Roberts' position is somewhat unique in that as an industrial engineer representing SSI, he was able to bring a neutral, yet broad and objective perspective to analyzing this subject. This is because SSI's ShipConstructor software is not only used by shipyards building both versions of the navy's Littoral Combat Ships…
