Navy Officials and Lawmakers Clash Over the Service’s Future Budget – The National Interest Online

One of the U.S. Navys old Ticonderoga-class cruisers is slated for decommissioning next year, but it is currently undergoing modernization servicing that would extend its serviceability. The warship, the USS Vicksburg, is reportedly 85 percent finished with its overhaul. Another ship, the USS Tortuga, a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship, is undergoing similar service life extension upgrades but is also scheduled for decommissioning.

In addition, the Navy would like to scrap every single Freedom-class Littoral Combat Shipone of the newest ship classes in United States naval servicea move that garnered blistering criticism from some lawmakers.

During a House Appropriations committee meeting, Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) expressed exasperation with the Navys expenditure in light of decommissioning schedules.

Some of these shipsespecially the Littoral Combat Shipsare among the newest in the fleet. The Navy claims they dont have enough sufficient funding to maintain and operate these ships, but thats not the case. Instead, theyve mismanaged billions of dollars in maintenance funding. One glaring example of this is the USS Vicksburg, a cruiser up for decommissioning this year, Granger said.

Since 2020, the Navy has awarded nearly $500 million in contracts to upgrade the cruiser. At a time when the ship is still in its maintenance period, the Navy is proposing to scrap it. If the Navy experts expect Congress to support its vision for this fleet, it must do a much better job of managing the inventory it has. We will not stand idly by as valuable taxpayer funds are wasted.

The Navy has argued that money spent overhauling aged platforms like the Ticonderoga-class cruisersor the problem-ridden Littoral Combat Shipscould be better invested in modernizing more capable warships rather than marginally improving old platforms.

Chief of Naval Operations Mark Gilday explained the Navys rationale behind its future force structure plans.

We took a look at our topline and we took a look at a Navy that we can sustain, a Navy that we can afford. In other words, were trying to field the most lethal, capable, ready Navy we can based on the budget that we have rather than a larger Navy thats less capable, less lethal and less ready, Gilday explained to appropriation lawmakers.

So we stratified our warfighting platforms. An LCS fell at the bottom of that stratification, along with the older cruisers that have an older radar, that have leaks below the waterline, radars that cant detect these new Chinese threats, as an example.

Some lawmakers expressed skepticism about the Navys decision to retire ships now to invest in higher-end capabilities in the future. It seems that the tussle between lawmakers and the Navy will continue.

One of the U.S. Navys old Ticonderoga-class cruisers is slated for decommissioning next year, but it is currently undergoing modernization servicing that would extend its serviceability. The warship, the USS Vicksburg, is reportedly 85 percent finished with its overhaul. Another ship, the USS Tortuga, a Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship, is undergoing similar service life extension upgrades but is also scheduled for decommissioning.

In addition, the Navy would like to scrap every single Freedom-class Littoral Combat Shipone of the newest ship classes in United States naval servicea move that garnered blistering criticism from some lawmakers.

During a House Appropriations committee meeting, Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) expressed exasperation with the Navys expenditure in light of decommissioning schedules.

Some of these shipsespecially the Littoral Combat Shipsare among the newest in the fleet. The Navy claims they dont have enough sufficient funding to maintain and operate these ships, but thats not the case. Instead, theyve mismanaged billions of dollars in maintenance funding. One glaring example of this is the USS Vicksburg, a cruiser up for decommissioning this year, Granger said.

Since 2020, the Navy has awarded nearly $500 million in contracts to upgrade the cruiser. At a time when the ship is still in its maintenance period, the Navy is proposing to scrap it. If the Navy experts expect Congress to support its vision for this fleet, it must do a much better job of managing the inventory it has. We will not stand idly by as valuable taxpayer funds are wasted.

The Navy has argued that money spent overhauling aged platforms like the Ticonderoga-class cruisersor the problem-ridden Littoral Combat Shipscould be better invested in modernizing more capable warships rather than marginally improving old platforms.

Chief of Naval Operations Mark Gilday explained the Navys rationale behind its future force structure plans.

We took a look at our topline and we took a look at a Navy that we can sustain, a Navy that we can afford. In other words, were trying to field the most lethal, capable, ready Navy we can based on the budget that we have rather than a larger Navy thats less capable, less lethal and less ready, Gilday explained to appropriation lawmakers.

So we stratified our warfighting platforms. An LCS fell at the bottom of that stratification, along with the older cruisers that have an older radar, that have leaks below the waterline, radars that cant detect these new Chinese threats, as an example.

Some lawmakers expressed skepticism about the Navys decision to retire ships now to invest in higher-end capabilities in the future. It seems that the tussle between lawmakers and the Navy will continue.

Caleb Larson is a multimedia journalist and defense writer with the National Interest. A graduate of UCLA, he also holds a Master of Public Policy and lives in Berlin. He covers the intersection of conflict, security, and technology, focusing on American foreign policy, European security, and German society for both print and radio. Follow him on Twitter @calebmlarson.

Image: Reuters.

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Navy Officials and Lawmakers Clash Over the Service's Future Budget - The National Interest Online