House Armed Services Committee

Navy, Marine Corps Had a Good Safety Record in 2020 But Have Plans to Get Better

Boatswain’s Mate Petty Officer First Class Jarret Hal conducts a safety brief before a underway replenishment, on the Alreigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG-72) on Jan. 24, 2021. US Navy Photo

Navy leaders in all communities are taking a hard look at how they can use data to prevent training accidents and operational mishaps, even as 2020 proved to be a good year for safety amid a high operational tempo, the service’s vice chief told lawmakers this week.

In 2020, the service...

Electric Boat Awarded $2.4 Billion for 2nd FY 2021 Virginia-class Attack Boat

Rendering of Block V Virginia-class submarine with Virginia Payload Module. General Dynamics Electric Boat Image

The Navy today awarded a construction contract for a second Virginia-class attack submarine this fiscal year, which the Trump administration had cut from its FY 2021 budget request and the House Armed Services Committee fought to have included in the final spending and defense bills.

The Navy awarded $2.42 billion to General Dynamics Electric Boat for SSN-811, a Block V Virginia-class...

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/19/electric-boat-awarded-2-4-billion-for-2nd-fy-2021-virginia-class-attack-boat

Lawmakers Question Who Will Shepherd Navy’s Future Unmanned Fleet

Maintainers from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VX-1) analyze diagnostics from the MQ-8C Fire Scout on the flight deck of the Independence variant littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) on June 21, 2018. US Navy photo.

When the Navy moved from a conventionally powered fleet to a nuclear one, Adm. Hyman Rickover oversaw the transitions for decades, remaining in uniform until the age of 82 as the “Father of the Nuclear Navy” to ensure the sea service adopted the new technology in a precise...

HASC Members Pushing for SECNAV Nominee Ahead of Pentagon Budget Fight, Fleet Modernization

Flag of the U.S. Secretary of the Navy

Two members of the House Armed Services Committee today called for the Biden administration to hurry and nominate someone to serve as the next Navy secretary, as the sea service faces tough decisions about how to modernize the force and potentially a budget showdown with the other services competing for funding.

During a HASC seapower and projection forces subcommittee hearing today, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) used the waning moments of his time for...

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/18/hasc-members-pushing-for-secnav-nominee-ahead-of-pentagon-budget-fight-fleet-modernization

Panel: Pentagon Needs High-Level Attention on AI, Digital Workforce to Keep Up With China

Operations Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Ezekiel, assigned to the guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61), identifies air contacts in the combat information center (CIC) on March 21, 2016. Monterey is underway conducting Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) with the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group in preparation for a future deployment. US Navy photo.

Pentagon leaders need to set clear digital readiness performance goals this year as a first step in revamping the requirements process...

https://news.usni.org/2021/03/12/panel-pentagon-needs-high-level-attention-on-ai-digital-workforce-to-keep-up-with-china

Senate Passes FY 2021 NDAA 84-13, As Lawmakers Wait to See If President Makes Good on Veto Threat

NASA Photo

The Senate passed the compromise version of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act today in an 84-13 vote, following a 335-78 earlier in the week in the House of Representatives.

The bill authorizes military spending for this current fiscal year. This year’s bill includes everything from allowing the Navy to buy two Virginia-class attack submarines after a fiscal fight to squeeze those boats in, to providing oversight on the in-development Large Unmanned Surface...

https://news.usni.org/2020/12/11/senate-passes-fy-2021-ndaa-84-13-as-lawmakers-wait-to-see-if-president-makes-good-on-veto-threat

Report on Military Personnel Issues before Congress

The following is the Sept. 18, 2020 Congressional Research Service report, FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Issues.

From the report

Each year, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provides authorization of appropriations for a range of Department of Defense (DOD) and national security programs and related activities. New or clarified defense policies, organizational reform, and directed reports to Congress are often included. For FY2020, the NDAA...

https://news.usni.org/2020/09/23/report-on-military-personnel-issues-before-congress

Thornberry: Final NDAA Bill Won’t Be Ready Until After Election

Rep. Mac Thornberry, ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, met with journalists from the Defense Writers Group, an association of news outlets with reporters that cover national security issues, at the George Washington University on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. GWU Photo

The final conference report on the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act won’t be ready until after the Nov. 3 election, the outgoing ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee said on...

https://news.usni.org/2020/09/09/thornberry-final-ndaa-bill-wont-be-ready-until-after-election

Columbia SSBN Program Doing Land-Based Testing to Avoid Past Shipbuilding Mistakes

Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite tours the General Dynamics Electric Boat (EB) Quonset Point Facility with EB Manager of Operations Walter Taft on July 8, 2020. US Navy Photo

Past ship design and acquisition mistakes, such as those with the Ford-class carrier and Littoral Combat Ship programs, are leading to some extra steps in today’s shipbuilding programs to ensure no time or money is wasted again, two speakers said at a virtual naval engineering symposium this week.

Rear Adm. Jason...

https://news.usni.org/2020/08/05/columbia-ssbn-program-doing-land-based-testing-to-avoid-past-shipbuilding-mistakes

Senate Passes FY 2021 Defense Authorization Bill by Large Margin

The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Missouri (SSN 780) departs Pearl Harbor on May 10, 2020, after completing a scheduled extended dry-docking selected restricted availability (EDSRA). Missouri’s routine maintenance and modernization work was completed five days ahead of schedule after successful sea trials and certification. US Navy photo

The Senate passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act with an 86 to 14 vote, following the House passing its...

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/23/senate-passes-fy-2021-defense-authorization-bill-by-large-margin

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