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May 2006 17 By Edward Lundquist That the U.S. Navy needs to maintain its current fleet to the most modern stan- dards, and recapitalize it to provide the right fleet for the future, seems obvious. But the investment has been uneven over the years, victimized by competing priorities within the Navy and the other services. Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Mike Mullen, thinks it makes sense to the Navy and to the industry to make a serious commitment to shipbuilding. The Navy will grow from the current 289 ships to 313, with an average of $13.4 billion per year (in FY05 dollars) invested in shipbuilding - an amount that will not be tampered with. That's about 30 percent more money than the current expenditure. The 313 ship total is not arbitrary, but the result of consid- erable study. "The analysis concluded that a fleet of about 313 ships is the force necessary to meet all of the demands, and to pace the most advanced technological chal- lengers well into the future, with an acceptable level of risk. The Navy expects to achieve this force structure by FY 2012," Mullen testified to Congress in March. It isn't just the number of ships, or the amount of money, that is truly signifi- cant here. True, both reflect a serious commitment. The real news is how the Navy wants to stick to the requirements and stabilize the shipbuilding workload. Critics say the Navy's plan is too opti- mistic. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Projection forces subcom- mittee, speaking at a Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) briefing at the U.S. Capitol on March 30, said that Navy shipbuilding calls for "far more platforms than we will be able to procure." Later that day, at a hearing, Bartlett said "the money is not there unless we [in Congress] raise the top line," refer- ring to the Navy's shipbuilding budget. Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter has testified to Congress earlier this year that "The FY 2007 budget for shipbuilding ensures that tomorrow's fleet will remain the world's preeminent. The Willard Marine Fleet for Port Security & Force Protection • Willard vessels are constructed in fiberglass composites and aluminum up to 17m. • Complete in-house engineering and prototype departments are available to fulfill specific user requirements. • Founded in 1957 Willard Marine is U.S. owned with plants in the U.S. • GSA contract GS-07F-0123H 1250 N. Grove St., Anaheim, CA 92806 714-666-2150 Fax 714-632-8136 willardmarine.com Email: WebMaster@willardmarine.com © 2006 Willard Marine MACC Norfolk, VA June 6 - 8 SOF/APBI Week Tampa, FL June 20 - 22 USCG Expo Tampa, FL June 26 - 28 US Marine Security Show New York, NY Sept. 19 - 20 SNAME Maritime Tech Conf. Ft. Lauderdale, FL Oct. 12-13 Intnl. Workboat Show New Orleans, LA Nov. 29 - Dec 1 Visit Us At... U.S. Navy Standard Cabin Model 10m & 11m R.I.B.’s NEW! 44’ Open Ocean Response Boat U.S. Navy Standard Open Model 11m R.I.B.U.S. Navy Standard 7m R.I.B.’s Assault 43/13m High Speed Interceptor Seating for up to 15 Circle 277 on Reader Service Card The Navy has a Shipbuilding Plan … and are Sticking to It Eye on the Navy "The practice around town has been for far too long, to pay other bills by robbing the shipbuilding accounts. We're not going to do that any- more. We're going to fence the funds we put in there, we're going to get a handle on requirements and we're going to stabilize the whole process. " Admiral Mike Mullen, Chief of Naval Operations, to the Surface Navy Association National Symposium, Hyatt Regency, Arlington, Va., January 10, 2006 MR MAY2006 #3 (17-24).qxd 5/8/2006 11:21 AM Page 17
