Golden Questions Secretary of Defense on Shipbuilding, Continues to Push Back Against DDG-51 Cut
Golden: “If it’s not a commitment to go back up to three [ships], then I think it’s not resourcing the ship that the two senators and I are asking about, and it would represent a broken contract.”
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) continued to pressure the nation's top Department of Defense officials this week in an effort to reverse a decrease in DDG-51 destroyer shipbuilding for FY2022. In a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Golden pressed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on the specifics of testimony he provided earlier this month that the DDG-51 ship dropped from the FY2022 budget request would be "resourced" in FY2023.
Crucially, the secretary would not commit to procuring three DDG-51s in FY2023 to make up for the reduction of one ship in FY2022.
Rep. Golden: Secretary Austin… you said the plan was to resource [the Flight III DDG-51] in 2023… I'd like to understand that more clearly. The most recent figures the Navy has provided Congress was in December and it anticipated the procurement of two ships in FY2022 and two in FY2023, for a total of four ships. In light of this, Mr. Secretary, am I to understand that you're committing to procuring three DDG ships in FY2023?VIDEO
Sec. Austin: We'll certainly work out the balance of our investments in the next budget. I don't want to predict where that's going to land.We're going to go after that DDG that we didn't resource in that budget in the next fiscal year. VIDEO
Rep. Golden: If you look at all of last year, you see that the Navy was saying that they needed the Flight III [DDG-51] from a capabilities perspective but also the Navy was projecting two ships… It was always two ships each time, and then suddenly we received this budget request to go down to one. If it's not a commitment to go back up to three [ships], then I think it's not resourcing the ship that the two senators and I are asking about, and it would represent a broken contract. VIDEO
Rep. Golden:I'm curious, in light of the change from two ships, two ships, two ships all through 2020 to just one now, and given this testimony we've received from the Navy about the7 importance of the capability, what's the driving force behind the reduction? VIDEO
Sec. Austin:You have to make tough choices in any budget and in this budget we're investing in a DDG, two submarines, and a frigate. Which I think is a pretty substantial investment… But I agree that it is important to make sure that we invest in that DDG going forward but again in any budget you have to make some tough choices. VIDEO
Rep. Golden: This is a top-line budget discussion rather than delivering what the combatant commanders are saying they need out in the fleet… It is also concerning that in some ways breaking a multi-year procurement like this is unprecedented. And it does undermine trust that the Navy is going to be able to follow through on commitments or future contracts. VIDEO