Angus King Questions Navy Secretary on Shipbuilding Budget Cuts and Ship Availability

Shipbuilding Budget Concerns

• 📌 Senator King expresses concern over proposed cuts to the Navy's shipbuilding budget, noting it has been "cut in half" in the base budget.
• ⚠️ He likens the current budget strategy to "son of OCO," suggesting that funds which should be in the base budget are being moved elsewhere, potentially impacting long-term industry planning and investment.
• 💬 King urges the Navy Secretary to advocate for strengthening the base shipbuilding budget, as talk of building up ships contradicts budget cuts.

Navy Ship Availability

• 📊 King highlights a significant disparity in ship availability between the Navy and commercial cruise lines, with the Navy averaging around 50% availability compared to Carnival Cruise Lines' 93%.
• ⚓ He emphasizes that this low availability, particularly for workhorses like DDGs, is a critical issue that needs to be addressed.
• 🎯 The goal is to reach an 80% availability number for Navy ships to ensure more assets are operational.

Improving Ship Readiness

• 🛠️ Admiral discusses strategies to improve availability, focusing on shorter availabilities with definitive packages that allow for 90-120 day advance planning for parts and workforce.
• 💡 Implementing disciplined processes, including early condition assessments and utilizing predictive software for part failures, are key to achieving higher availability.
• 🚀 Advanced technologies, such as non-invasive inspection methods, are being employed to assess ship conditions more efficiently.

Directed Energy Investment

• ⚡ King raises the issue of directed energy funding, questioning its clarity in the budget and its importance for cost-effective defense against threats like drones.
• 💰 He points out the high cost of current missile defenses ($4 million per missile) compared to the potential of directed energy weapons.
• ✅ The Navy Secretary confirms advocacy for directed energy, noting a promising system currently being tested and its potential to be a crucial, cost-effective capability.