A defense policy bill released this week by the House Armed Services Committee expresses concerns over the Navy’s aging cruisers, the cost and capability of a planned amphibious ship, development of capability to rearm vessels at sea, and more. The language in the committee’s fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization Act represents a continuation of disagreements between lawmakers and the sea service. The panel in recent years has clashed with the Navy in regard to balancing readiness, fleet size and the creation of next-generation technology.
In terms of fleet size, the House Armed Services Committee is limiting how many Ticonderoga-class cruisers the Navy can retire. The committee’s version of the NDAA would prohibit the retirement of specific cruisers and prevent the Navy from retiring or laying up more than two other cruisers. The bill also calls for the Navy to buy a second Virginia-class submarine in FY25.
New ship programs are also a point of concern for House lawmakers, with skepticism expressed following challenges with several ship programs. The NDAA asks for assurances from the Navy before construction begins on any new ships and specific oversight over current and future destroyer programs. The bill also addresses the Landing Ship Medium program for the planned amphibious ship.
The committee is particularly interested in the Navy’s development of a rearm-at-sea capability, requiring the secretary to submit a strategy for delivering this capability to the fleet within three years. The bill also calls for assessments of the Navy’s spending and technology development efforts and plans to develop and field long-range fires.
