House Green Lights Ohio-class Replacement Program

Press Release

The United States House of Representatives greenlit a program vital to the future of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay by beginning construction on the next generation of submarines. Construction is set to begin on a new class of 12 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) which will one day replace the existing Ohio-class SSBNs such as those currently homeported at the base.

Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Ga-01), who represents Kings Bay and Camden County in Congress, has been a leader in the fight for the replacement program. He recently testified about the indispensable national security importance of the existing SSBN fleet and the need to expedite their replacement.

"This legislation is critical to ensure there are no interruptions in future missions at Kings Bay due to a gap in the retirement of the Ohio-class submarines and their replacement,"Carter said. "We are facing increasingly dangerous and uncertain threats and the submarines stationed at Kings Bay play an important role in our nuclear deterrence. We must ensure Kings Bay has the opportunity to remain the elite home to the Atlantic ballistic submarine fleet and this legislation sets the stage to ensure this can happen."

The Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act passed the House today with Carter's support. The NDAA is the primary way Congress meets its most important constitutional obligations to "provide for the common defense." The legislation sets defense policy for the year and offers a $610.5 billion defense spending blueprint. The legislation increases troop pay and benefits, supports missions to defeat ISIS, and restores the readiness of our military.

Source