Hampton Roads Lawmakers Come Together To Stem Further Aircraft Carrier Reductions

Letter

Today, the Hampton Roads Congressional Delegation teamed up to advocate for maintaining the permanent force structure of 11 aircraft carriers. Congressmen Wittman, Nye, Scott and Forbes sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, citing concern over recent reports suggesting that Pentagon officials are contemplating a reduction in the nation's aircraft carrier fleet as part of the upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR).

In the letter, the Congressmen cited their support of Secretary Gates' recommended changes to future aircraft carrier construction schedules and his reiteration of the requirement for an 11 carrier force structure until at least 2040 as part of his presentation of the Fiscal Year 2010 DOD Budget Rollout.

The Members further noted that, "in recent years, Congress has approved several requests by the Navy for legislative relief in the deactivation and retirement of aging aircraft carriers. These requests led Congress to revise the original 12 carrier minimum and include the current 11 carrier minimum in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. However, we strongly believe that any further reductions below the current statutory minimum are not in our best national security interest."

Congressman Rob Wittman, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and is the Ranking Member on the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, said: "Our current carrier structure allows us the agility to maintain a worldwide presence and react efficiently to threats as they develop. Further reductions in carriers would hinder our reaction speed and place an increased burden on our sailors and marines around the globe."

Congressman Glenn Nye, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said: "Here in Hampton Roads, we understand the crucial role of aircraft carriers in keeping our country safe and protecting American interests abroad. We cannot afford to limit our ability to respond to new and uncertain threats, assist in humanitarian missions, or to support our troops in harms' way."

Congressman Scott said: "The strategic cost associated with these proposed reductions outweigh any anticipated savings and in today's climate, we should not take this risk."

Congressman Forbes said: "The Aircraft carrier has been the foundation of our national strategy and one of the most effective tools in protecting our national interests across the globe.
Reducing our carrier force would only remove vital security options and opportunities from the table. Perhaps even more concerning though, is that the Administration is considering these reductions without a long-term shipbuilding plan or certification that the budget will meet that plan, and therefore allowing the budget to drive our defense strategy."

The full text of the letter from Congressmen Wittman, Nye, Scott and Forbes is attached below.

The Honorable Robert M. Gates
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000

Dear Mr. Secretary,

We are writing to express our concern with several news reports suggesting further contemplated reductions in our nation's aircraft carrier force structure as part of the Department of Defense's Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). While we understand that QDR deliberations are still ongoing and therefore pre-decisional, we must take this opportunity to communicate our concerns so there is no confusion about our position. We believe it would be particularly difficult to find future Congressional support for any proposal that calls for a permanent force structure of fewer than 11 carriers at any time.

During your April 6, 2009 presentation as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Request rollout, you made several changes to future aircraft carrier construction schedules and reiterated the requirement for an 11 carrier force structure until at least 2040. We share your support of this requirement, which is consistent with current law (10 USC 5062).

While we have some reservations about the inefficiency and increased costs created by the shift to five-year cost centers, Congress has largely supported your recommendations in the Fiscal Year 2010 authorization and appropriations process. As you know, both the House of Representatives and the Senate have approved a temporary waiver to suspend Title 10, Section 5062 of US Code, and to accommodate the planned retirement of USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65). Additionally, testimony by senior Navy officials before several congressional committees as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 budget submission suggests that operational risks can be mitigated during the three years when the nation will only have 10 aircraft carriers.

In recent years, Congress has approved several requests by the Navy for legislative relief in the deactivation and retirement of aging aircraft carriers. These requests led Congress to revise the original 12 carrier minimum and include the current 11 carrier minimum in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. However, we strongly believe that any further reductions below the current statutory minimum are not in our best national security interest.

Our nation's aircraft carriers have proven their versatility time and again in responding to world events. Successful in both traditional and non-traditional missions, no other platform has been as effective in enabling the United States to project power and protect our interests around the globe. In our view, aircraft carriers should remain a cornerstone of our future defense planning, and we urge your personal attention to this issue. We thank you for your service to our nation.

Sincerely,

Glenn Nye
Rob Wittman
Bobby Scott
Randy Forbes

cc: The Honorable Ray Mabus
Secretary of the Navy
Admiral Michael Mullen
Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
Admiral Gary Roughead
Chief of Naval Operations

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