Visiting VIPs observe the Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) aboard Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. on Oct. 8, 2014. US Marine Corps photo.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Armed Services Committee recommends cutting $40 million from the Marine Corps’ budget for its AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) program for what the committee calls programmatic delays, but the Marine Corps insists it is still on track despite a change in its testing program. Read More
Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) on May 28, 2014. US Navy Photo
The House Armed Services Committee approved a plan by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.) to cut the Navy’s cruiser modernization period in half — from four to two years. Read More
The following is an April 28 letter from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert to House Armed Services Committee chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) regarding cruiser modernizations. Read More
The House Armed Services Committee released portions of its annual defense bill this week in preparation for the full committee markup on April 29.
Several important policy changes and oversight issues have already been raised, with plenty more to come next week. Here are some of the highlights from the subcommittees: Read More
USS Antietam (CG-54) is underway off the coast of Japan near Mt. Fuji. US Navy Photo
The Navy’s cruiser modernization effort will once again be a hot topic of debate, as some House Armed Services Committee (HASC) members push for a tighter timeline for the maintenance and combat system upgrades. Read More
Essex ARG consists of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2), the San Antonio-class transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD-23), and the Whidbey Island-class amphibious landing dock ship USS Rushmore (LSD-47) on Feb. 28, 2015. US Navy Photo
The House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee wants changes allowing two upcoming ship classes to get off to a smoother start – allowing for more funding opportunities for the Ohio Replacement Program (ORP) and accelerating the start of the LX(R) amphibious dock landing ship replacement program. Read More
USS Minnesota (SSN-783) under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding in 2012. US Navy Photo
The House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee would have the Navy put the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) on all its Block V Virginia-class attack submarines (SSN-774), rather than only two-thirds of the fleet as the Navy is currently budgeting for. Read More
F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to the Tomcatters of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 31, launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) on July 31, 2014. US Navy Photo
The House Armed Services tactical air and land subcommittee supports filling the Navy’s and Marine Corps’ unfunded requirements for additional Boeing F-18E/F Super Hornets and Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters (JSF), committee aids told reporters on Wednesday. Read More
U.S. Marines with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa board an MV-22 Osprey during an alert force drill on Moron Air Base, Spain, March 13, 2015. US Marine Corps photo.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — As much as the Marine Corps wants to increase its deployment-to-dwell ratio from the current 1:2 to the more sustainable 1:3, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. John Paxton said that some high-demand units are operating on an even tighter schedule. Read More
Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michelle Howard and Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. John Paxton testified at the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, March 25 and the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday, March 26 to discuss the readiness of the force. US Navy photo.
The House of Representatives may attempt to fund military at the Defense Department’s requested overall level but shift about $20.5 billion to the Overseas Contingency Operations account to get around sequestration-level spending caps – a move that the four service vice chiefs say will not help them improve readiness. Read More
