Congress
GAO Report on Oversight of U.S. Support to Ukraine
The following is the July 31, 2024, Government Accountability Office report, Ukraine: Oversight of U.S. Direct Budget Support.
From the report
Why This Matters
Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine is causing a devastating loss of life, creating a widespread humanitarian crisis, and threatening democracy in Europe. In response, Congress has appropriated more than $174 billion across the federal government. From this funding, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has obligated...
https://news.usni.org/2024/08/01/gao-report-on-oversight-of-u-s-support-to-ukraine
Australia Inks $2.2B Deal to Extend Collins-class Submarines into 2030s
The Australian government signed a $2.2 billion four-year contract with national submarine builder ASC last week to keep Canberra’s existing Collins-class submarines in service through the 2030s.
When making the announcement on Saturday, Australia’s...
Report to Congress on Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans
The following is the July 25, 2024, Congressional Research Service report, Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress.
From the report
The current and future size and composition of the Navy, the annual rate of Navy ship procurement, the prospective affordability of the Navy’s shipbuilding plans, the capacity of the U.S. shipbuilding industry to execute the Navy’s shipbuilding plans, and Navy proposals for retiring existing ships have been oversight matters...
https://news.usni.org/2024/07/30/report-to-congress-on-navy-force-structure-and-shipbuilding-plans
Jay Stefany to Lead Navy’s New Maritime Industrial Base Program Office
The Navy is standing up a new maritime industrial base program office and has tapped one of its career civil servants to take the helm.
Jay Stefany, who...
Navy Issues HII $78M Contract Mod That Includes Quality of Life Facility at Newport News
The Navy issued HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding a $ 78 million contract modification for quality-of-life improvements that includes building a facility for sailors who are working on aircraft carriers undergoing their mid-life refueling overhaul, according to Naval Sea Systems Command.
The funds are for a “Carrier Refueling Overhaul Workcenter” that...
Expanding NATO Industrial Capacity Key Message from U.S. Officials
Growing NATO’s defense industrial capability was the message the White House national security advisor and the deputy secretary of defense delivered Tuesday on the eve of the alliance’s 75th-anniversary meeting in Washington.
“The truth is, no engine of production has ever spun up from zero to 60 overnight. And that’s...
https://news.usni.org/2024/07/09/expanding-nato-industrial-capacity-key-message-from-u-s-officials
USS Boxer Repairs Complete, Marines Preparing to Return on Deployment
Rudder repairs to USS Boxer (LHD-4) are complete and the crew has left to test the fixes at sea, Navy officials have told USNI News. Meanwhile, the Marines are preparing to return to sea to continue a deployment that was interrupted by the damaged ship.
In a statement earlier this week provided to USNI News, Naval Surface Force said that the pier-side tests have been completed and Boxer was...
Report to Congress on Navy Distributed Maritime Operations
The following is the July 3, 2024, Congressional Research Service In Focus report, Defense Primer: Navy Distributed Maritime Operations Concept.
From the report
Introduction
Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) is the operating concept of the Department of the Navy (or DON, which includes the Navy and Marine Corps) for using U.S. naval (i.e., Navy and Marine Corps) forces in combat operations against an adversary, particularly China, that has substantial capabilities for detecting and attacking...
https://news.usni.org/2024/07/04/report-to-congress-on-navy-distributed-maritime-operations
Summary of China’s Political System
The following is the July 1, 2024, Congressional Research Service In Focus report, China Primer: China’s Political System.
From the report
The People’s Republic of China (PRC or China) is the only Communist Party-led state either among the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council or among the members of the G-20 grouping of major economies. As Congress has intensified its focus on China in the context of U.S.-China strategic competition, Members have increasingly sought to...
https://news.usni.org/2024/07/02/summary-of-chinas-political-system