Page 45: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 1990)

House Committee Releases

FY 91 Defense Bill Markup

The House Armed Services Com- mittee recently completed its mark- up of the Fiscal Year 1991 (FY 91)

Defense Authorization Bill, recom- mending most of the administra- tion's requests for Navy shipbuild- ing and conversion intact.

The committee recommended au- thorization of $1.45 billion for one

SSN-21 Seawolf Class attack sub- marine in FY 91 and provided $649 million in long lead procurement for two subs per year after FY 91. The

Administration had requested $2.34 billion for two Seawolfs in FY 91 and $1.13 billion for advance pro- curement for six in FY 93.

The committee approved the amended defense budget request of $1.24 billion for one Trident SSBN ballistic missile submarine, 18th in the class, but deleted the Adminis- tration's request for $143 million for advanced procurement for the 19th and 20th Trident. The committee instead proposed the termination of the program with the 18th sub.

The committee approved the pro- curement of five DDG-51 Arleigh

Burke Class Aegis destroyers in FY 91 at a cost of $3.56 billion.

Although the committee's report recommended the delay of the Ad- ministration's request of $268.1 mil- lion for three coastal minehunters (MHC), indications are that Con- gress will fund the three vessels in its FY 91 authorization.

Good news for U.S. private ship- yards is that the committee estab- lished a sealift program to build commercially viable cargo vessels which could be used for military purposes during national emergen- cies. The committee directed the

Secretary of Defense Richard

Cheney to establish the military features required and MarAd to specify the overall design of the ship to ensure its commercial viability.

At present, there is $375 million available in FY 90 appropriated funds for fast sealift construction.

The recommended design for the ships is a diesel-electric-powered, hatchless convertible containership.

When the ships are completed, they will be chartered by the Navy to U.S. ship operators under com- petitive bidding.

The House Armed Services Com- mittee recommended the authoriza- tion of $9.36 billion for research, development, testing and evaluation in FY 91, an increase of $342.9 mil- lion over the administration's re- quest of $9.02 billion.

However, after the House Armed

Services Committee's markup, Sec- retary Cheney announced his rec- ommendations to the Navy to scale down the purchase of Seawolf at- tack submarines and Arleigh Burke

Class destroyers.

The Secretary based his decision on a four-month major warship re- view. Secretary Cheney recom- mended the purchase rate of three

Seawolf attack submarines every two years beginning FY 91. Penta- gon officials said that the slower purchase rate would result in only two fewer subs by 1994 than origi- nally planned.

Furthermore, he recommended purchasing four Aegis destroyers per fiscal year instead of current plans for 5 to 6.

Drydock Technology

Training Program Set

For San Diego In 1991

The "Drydock Technology and

Operation" training program will be offered once again by Marine De- sign Services Inc., March 4-8, 1991 at the Radisson Hotel, Mission Val- ley, San Diego, Calif.

The course will cover technical aspects of drydocking (commercial and U.S. Navy ships) in certified drydock facilities.

For details contact: John W.

McGruer, Marine Design Services,

Inc., P.O. Box 928, Bonita, Calif. 92002-0830, phone: (619) 427-4219.

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Ingalls Shipbuilding Company called on us to wrap the

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September, 1990 47