HASC Chairman’s Mark Authorizes Second Virginia-class Submarine, Cuts $1B from Delayed Frigate Program

U.S. Capitol on Dec. 29, 2022. USNI News Photo

House authorizers added a second Virginia-class submarine in their mark of the Fiscal Year 2025 defense policy bill, a departure from the Biden administration’s decision to ask for only one attack boat in the annual request.

The House Armed Services Committee chairman’s mark of the bill, released Monday, shows lawmakers approving $1 billion for another Virginia-class attack boat. The HASC seapower and projection forces subcommittee’s mark of the...

https://news.usni.org/2024/05/13/hasc-chairmans-mark-authorizes-second-virginia-class-submarine-cuts-1b-from-delayed-frigate-program

House Lawmakers Pushing for 2 Virginia Subs in FY 2025, CNO Franchetti Gives Details on Boxer Repair

Virginia-class submarine USS Oregon (SSN 793) transits the Thames River during routine operations in Groton, Conn., on Oct. 6, 2022. US Navy Photo

A group of 120 House lawmakers are asking the House Appropriations defense subcommittee to add another Virginia-class attack submarine to the Navy’s Fiscal Year 2025 shipbuilding budget.
The group, led by Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), argued the Navy’s purchase of one Virginia in FY 2025 puts submarine suppliers at risk and sets the Navy back in its...

https://news.usni.org/2024/05/01/house-lawmakers-pushing-for-2-virginia-subs-in-fy-2025-cno-franchetti-gives-details-on-boxer-repair

HASC Advances NDAA Authorizing 10 Ships, Creating SLCM-N Program

U.S. Capitol on Dec. 29, 2022. USNI News Photo

The House Armed Services Committee passed its annual defense policy bill early Thursday, authorizing the Navy to buy a total of 10 ships, an increase from the requested nine in the budget proposal.

The advanced legislation allows the Navy to buy one Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarine, two Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, two Virginia-class attack boats, two Constellation-class frigates, one San Antonio-class LPD-17 Flight II...

https://news.usni.org/2023/06/22/hasc-advances-ndaa-authorizing-10-ships-creating-slcm-n-program

Virginia Attack Boat Program Stalled Over Tomahawk, Hypersonic Missile Insurance Rift

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

THE PENTAGON — Advanced procurement contracts for two of the Navy’s Block V Virginia-class attack submarines have been stalled for 10 months due to an impasse between the service and its lead submarine builder over insurance related to Tomahawk missiles and future hypersonic weapons, USNI News has learned.

General Dynamics and the Navy are split over which organization should be...

https://news.usni.org/2022/12/15/virginia-attack-boat-program-stalled-over-tomahawk-hypersonic-missile-insurance-rift

Fast Track Aussie Nuclear Submarine Development, Says MP on AUKUS Anniversary

Royal Australian Navy submarine HMAS Sheean arrives alongside during a logistics port visit of Hobart, Tasmania on April 1, 2021. Royal Australian Navy Photo

An Australian member of parliament wants to speed up the delivery of nuclear-powered submarines to Canberra to send a clear message to China and Russia that Australia will defend its sovereignty against their aggressive ambitions.

Andrew Hastie, speaking at a Hudson Institute event on the anniversary of the historic agreement to build a...

https://news.usni.org/2022/09/16/fast-track-aussie-nuclear-submarine-development-says-mp-on-aukus-anniversary

HII Argues for Aircraft Carrier Block Buy as New Enterprise Takes Shape

A keel section of the future aircraft carrier Enterprise CVN-80 on Aug 26, 2022. USNI News Photo

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Fatima Medina-Galeno might be one of the few naval shipbuilders in the United States who needs a solid Wi-Fi signal to get her job done. In addition to her steel-toed boots and her hardhat, Medina-Galeno lugs a rugged, dust-covered laptop on the job.

At the start of each shift, she downloads the work package for the day – a three-dimensional model of the pipe sections she’s...

https://news.usni.org/2022/08/28/hii-argues-for-aircraft-carrier-block-buy-as-new-enterprise-takes-shape

House Passes FY2023 Defense Bill Authorizing 13 Battle Force Ships, Saves 5 LCS

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) launching at Ingalls Shipbuilding on June 5, 2021. HII Photo

The House voted to approve its $839 billion defense authorization bill that raises the topline for defense spending by $37 billion and signed off on major additions to the Department of the Navy’s budget.

In a 329-101 vote, the bill authorized 13 battle force ships for the service – five more than the Navy requested in this year’s budget request.

The bill authorizes an...

https://news.usni.org/2022/07/14/house-passes-fy2023-defense-bill-authorizing-13-battle-force-ships-saves-5-lcs

New AUKUS Caucus Bill Calls for U.S.-Australia Sub Training Pipeline

Able Seaman Combat Systems Operator Benjamin Stewart participates in an Anti-Submarine Warfare exercise with a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine during Exercise ARC21 in 2021. Royal Australian Navy Photo

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled legislation that would help the Royal Australian Navy train its future submarine warfare officers with U.S. sailors.

Dubbed the “The Australia-U.S. Submarine Officer Pipeline Act,” the legislation would allow Australia to send...

https://news.usni.org/2022/06/15/new-aukus-caucus-bill-calls-for-u-s-australia-sub-training-pipeline

Navy to Congress: Future of Hawaii Red Hill Fuel Facility Uncertain

Rear Adm. John Korka, Commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC), and Chief of Civil Engineers, leads Navy and civilian water quality recovery experts through the tunnels of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility on Dec. 23, 2021. US Navy Photo

Whether the Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility in Hawaii remains open is uncertain, following two major fuel spills the Navy that contaminated Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickham’s water supply and forced thousands of families out of...

https://news.usni.org/2022/01/12/navy-to-congress-future-of-hawaii-red-hill-fuel-facility-uncertain

Stefany: Repairs to USS Connecticut Could Cause ‘Perturbations’ in Public Shipyards

USS Connecticut (SSN-22) departs Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for sea trials following a maintenance availability on Dec. 14, 2016. US Navy Photo

Unplanned repairs to the damaged attack submarine USS Connecticut (SSN-22) could disrupt the backlog of planned ship maintenance in the public naval yards, Jay Stefany, acting assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, told Congress on Thursday.

The Navy’s four public shipyards are struggling to keep up with the demand for...

https://news.usni.org/2021/10/28/stefany-repairs-to-uss-connecticut-could-cause-perturbations-in-public-shipyards