The following is the Sept. 2, 2020 Congressional Research Service report, Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress. Read More
Tag Archives: Secretary of Defense Mark Esper
SECDEF Esper Commits to U.S. Role in Pacific at 75th Anniversary of WWII’s End
Mark Esper speaks on Sept. 2, 2020 aboard the decommissioned battleship USS Missouri. DoD Image
The U.S. “will not back down; we will not yield” in maintaining the international rule of law, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Wednesday at a ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the formal ending of World War II. Read More
Report to Congress on Navy Force Structure
The following is the Aug. 13, 2020 Congressional Research Service report, Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress.
CAPE Nominee: SECDEF Esper Blocked Shipbuilding Plan to Congress Because it Lacked ‘Credible Pathway’ to 355-Ship Fleet
USS Stout (DDG-55) travels alongside the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD-5) during a transit through the Strait of Hormuz on May 31, 2020. US Marine Corps Photo
The Pentagon still has not submitted a legally mandated shipbuilding blueprint to lawmakers this year because Defense Secretary Mark Esper felt the Navy had not developed a “credible pathway” to achieving a 355-ship fleet, the nominee to lead a top Pentagon office said today. Read More
Report to Congress on Navy Force Structure
The following is the July 28, 2020 Congressional Research Service report, Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress. Read More
SECDEF Esper: U.S. Will ‘Keep Up the Pace’ of South China Sea Freedom of Navigation Operations
USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) conducts routine operations near the Panamanian flagged drill ship, West Capella on May 12, 2020. US Navy Photo
SECDEF Esper Memo on Displaying Flags on U.S. Bases
The following is the July 17, 2020 memo from Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Public Display or Depiction of Flags in the Department of Defense. Read More
HASC Chair Smith: Troops ‘Not Ready to Fight’ Without Resource-Informed Strategy
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, Chairman of the House Armed Service Committee, is briefed on the capabilities of the F-35A Lightning II during his visit at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., Oct. 10, 2019. The congressman learned about several aspects of the 56th Fighter Wing F-35 pilot training and how the wing works to enhance lethality and readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jensen Stidham)
The House Armed Services Committee chairman praised an ongoing review of the combatant commanders’ force posture, saying he worried the military was “flailing” as its resources didn’t align with COCOM requests or the National Defense Strategy. Read More
Pentagon Leaders Have Taken Lead in Crafting Future Fleet from Navy
Secretary of Defense Mark Esper meets with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff members during a visit to FEMA. DoD Photo
The Navy has lost much of its power on deciding what its future fleet will look like, with a Pentagon-led effort set to produce secretary of defense directives to the service by the end of the summer on what the fleet’s future plans should include. Read More
House Defense Bill Pushes Hypersonic Weapons for Zumwalt Destroyers, Slows LUSV Procurement
Sailors man the rails aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) as the ship pulls into Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on April 2, 2019. US Navy Photo
The House Armed Services Committee may force the Navy to begin integrating hypersonic weapons onto the Zumwalt class of destroyers, something the sea service has talked about but not prioritized in its budget. Read More
