Virginia SSN production may double

From Aviation Week

House May OK Doubled Virginia Production

May 16, 2008

Michael Bruno/Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

The U.S. House is on track to consider – and likely approve – legislation that could double annual production of the Virginia-class attack submarine to two boats starting in fiscal 2010, a year ahead of the U.S. Navy’s latest plans.

The move stems from a $422 million plus-up in authorized funding for Virginias that Republicans on the Democratic-controlled House Armed Services Committee (HASC) secured May 14. It also comes after the HASC seapower subcommittee last week added $744 million to accelerate dual annual production from the Navy’s long-term shipbuilding plan, which in 2006 forecast two boats per year starting in FY ’12, but then in February moved it up to FY ’11 after Congress added funding in 2007 (Aerospace DAILY, May 9).

Increasing Virginia production has long been popular in Congress because it is a major acquisition program shared by Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics, and also because the Navy itself has predicted falling below its required number of attack subs next decade. Still, the Virginia program has been marked by eye-popping price tags, although lately the Navy has praised contractors – particularly Northrop – for better performance and achieving a modest cost goal.

“In order to counter China’s increased production rate, we have to begin building more Virginia-class submarines and look for ways to speed up production,” said Rep. Duncan Hunter (Calif.), the full committee’s ranking Republican. “By sustaining the build rate of two submarines per year sooner, we allow the Navy to meet our commanders’ requirements and place America on firm footing for the future.”

Senate defense authorizers have not gone quite as far. The Senate Armed Services Committee weeks earlier in their version of the same legislation added $79 million above the administration’s fiscal 2009 request so the Navy could accelerate SSN-774 procurement to two boats per year in FY ’11. Nevertheless, the House should at least receive a favorable reception in congressional conference over the fiscal 2009 defense authorization bill.

And whether appropriators follow through on the HASC authorized level is another question. Indeed, during the HASC’s markup, seapower Chairman Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) backed the plus-up but hesitated because it violates a shipbuilding-spending agreement he reached with House defense appropriators.

Meanwhile, the whole HASC agreed to the seapower subcommittee’s proposed cap on DDG-1000 destroyers without much comment. Still, Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (Md.), seapower’s ranking Republican, defended the move as necessary to otherwise realize the Navy’s financially frail shipbuilding plan.

“It is imperative to ensure that America’s blue-water Navy is superior with a balance of fleet size and capabilities to meet future challenges, such as those posed by a rising China and a re-emergent Russia,” Bartlett said. “Only a blue-water Navy can protect the shipping lanes and choke points through which most of the world’s oil and commerce flow.”