The littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) pulls into port at Robinson Terminal in Old Town Alexandria, Va.
Shipbuilding a national imperative
By SEN. MEL MARTINEZ
Since the end of World War II, the United States has been the global leader in maritime security. From protecting worldwide trade routes to keeping the sea lines of communication open, the U.S. Navy's leadership has remained unquestioned.
But today, our dominance is threatened by a shrinking naval fleet and a critically flawed procurement process. To meet the Navy's goal for a 313-ship fleet in the most timely and effective manner, we have to fix the broken processes and focus on providing the best and most suitable vessels to meet current and future missions.
One of the biggest obstacles to building more ships and modernizing the Navy's fleet has been an acquisition process plagued by cost overruns, shifting requirements and fluid timetables. Historically, the Navy has had difficulties keeping shipbuilding on time and on budget while incorporating next-generation weapons technologies.
Congress has taken a good first step toward improving the acquisition process by passing the Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act. The law provides Congress with greater oversight and the ability to end programs experiencing unchecked cost overruns. The law mandates a more accurate cost estimate for all major acquisition programs and re-establishes a post within the Pentagon to manage current and future weapons programs.
Another challenge to shipbuilding has been historically low levels of defense spending. As a percentage of our nation's gross domestic product, defense spending has fallen to roughly one-third of what we spent in 1962. Our fleet's size has dwindled, as ships are decommissioned before their time and the Navy settles for single-digit ship procurement each year.
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Unfortunately, President Barack Obama's request to fund eight new ships falls far short of what is needed to keep pace with reaching the Navy's shipbuilding goal. I expect the Navy's need to build more ships will be underscored when the Department of Defense releases its Quadrennial Defense Review next year.
In addition to procuring more ships, the Navy can also increase its capacity by retaining existing assets. A service-life extension program for our frigate-class ships would keep their unique capabilities in the fleet while the littoral combat ships enter the Navy. Such a program would ensure the maximum life of our existing ships and reduce the number of ships decommissioned each year. Additionally, as Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chief of Naval Operations Gary Roughead have indicated, littoral combat ships will play an increasingly larger role in future naval combat.
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Congress has a responsibility to ensure the Navy has all that it needs to reach its program goal of building 55 of these necessary ships.
Beyond shipbuilding and maintenance, there are a number of steps the Navy can take to spend with greater efficiency. This includes adopting fixed-priced contracts, multiyear procurements, common hull forms and commonality between variations of ships. This would go a long way in ensuring that the Navy makes the most out of taxpayer money and reduces costs whenever it can.
Now more than ever, our leaders in Washington ought to consider the changing nature of the threats we face around the globe. Although we cannot predict the future, we can hedge against emerging challenges by increasing our Navy's capacity. Our Navy must be prepared to perform when it is challenged, and having a fully funded and capable naval fleet provides it with the best chance for success.
Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) is a member of the Armed Services Committee and ranking member of the Seapower Subcommittee.
Weapon Systems Acquisition Reform Act
Mel Martinez