Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the Navy's acquisition strategy to purchase 20 littoral combat ships, LCS.

The Navy's plan would allow 20 littoral combat ships to be awarded to two shipyards: Austal, which will build 10 ships in Mobile, AL, and Lockheed Martin, which will build 10 ships in Wisconsin.

Under the new procurement strategy, our sailors will receive the ships they need to operate in shallow waters and combat the threats of surface craft, submarines, and mines. These ships will be used for a variety of security issues from sweeping for mines in coastal waters to fighting pirates and chasing drug smugglers. They are a needed asset for our Navy.

The Navy's dual acquisition plan, included in the continuing resolution, brings significant advantages to the LCS program.

Our Navy will receive this capability faster, bring assets into operational service earlier, and will assist the Navy in reaching a 313-ship Navy sooner.

The LCS strategy will stabilize the program and the industrial base with an initial award of 20 ships. This will sustain competition throughout the life of the program.

It is critical to ensure that the capabilities of our naval fleet are the very best and that our Armed Forces receive the equipment they need in executing future operations.

However, as the foundation of our ability to project force globally for the next half century, we must obtain the best platform for the taxpayer investment.

The LCS dual award does both.

The dual procurement of the LCS will bring tremendous cost savings to the program that would not have been realized had the Navy moved forward with a down select of designs.

According to the Navy, the acquisition savings for a dual award is projected to be $2.9 billion as measured against the President's fiscal year 2011 request. Of these savings, approximately $1 billion is directly attributable to the dual award.

Acquisition decisions made in the near term will affect fleet effectiveness and operating costs for decades to come.

This is the best outcome for all involved. The Navy will be able to obtain the best solution for the taxpayer investment.

I urge my colleagues to support the dual acquisition strategy included within the continuing resolution.

I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

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