AWIBC Calls for Sustainable Funding of Amphibious Warships

Expressing concern for the future of the U.S. Navy’s amphibious warship programs, a newly formed nationwide coalition of large and small businesses, the Amphibious Warship Industrial Base Coalition (AWIBC), urged Congress to provide sustained funding for the construction of amphibious warships.

Designed and built for survivability, U.S. Navy amphibious warships are unique combat vessels that deploy and support missions anywhere in the world, in any condition and on short notice. They hold, transport and deploy all types of combat vehicles, helicopters, amphibious landing craft and assault vehicles, as well as MV- 22 Osprey tilt- rotor aircraft and the soon- to- be- delivered F – 35B Joint Strike Fighter.

Since October 2011, the nation has called on U.S. Navy amphibious warships more than 80 times to respond to military and humanitarian crises around the globe. In 2013, in response to potential crisis in both Egypt and Syria, amphibious warships were positioned off the coast, ready to respond.

In a letter to the chairs of the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus, Representatives Rob Wittman ( R – VA – 01 ) and Joe Courtney (D – CT – 02), Brian Schires of Rolls – Royce North America and chair of AWIBC wrote , “ It is critical to national security that these combat warships and their U.S. Navy – Marine Corps teams be available and in position around the globe to respond to threats and to protect U.S . citizens. It is also critical to national security that the U.S. industrial base that provides parts and products for amphibious warship s remain strong. Building these warships on a regular schedule ensure s stability in construction, keeps production lines active and allows second – and third – tier suppliers to allocate their resources and manpower to support the cost – effective and fiscally efficient production of amphibious war ships. “

AWIBC requests that Congress provide incremental funding in fiscal year 2015 for the next San Antonio – class amphibious warship, LPD 28, to allow suppliers across the country to begin manufacturing parts and products for its construction.

Schires also wrote, “Without sustained funding for the production and construction program of the next San Antonio – class amphibious warship, LPD 28, the skilled jobs of the industrial shipbuilding base are at risk.”

Funding for LPD 28 would also serve as a bridge to the next generation of amphibious warships, the LX(R). General James Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, expressed support in December 2013 for the LPD to be the model for LX ( R).

Amphibious warship Somerset (LPD 25) was delivered to the U.S. Navy on October 18, 2013, and will be commissioned on March 1, 2014, in Philadelphia. Portland ( LPD 27 ) and John P. Murtha ( LPD 26 ) are currently under construction. America (LHA 6), which will be commissioned later this year, is the first in a revolutionary new class of U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships.

“Between 1998 and 2010, the country lost 57,000 manufacturing facilities and 6 million manufacturing jobs,” Schires stated . “If this trend continues, there is a very real risk that there will be a permanent loss of the skills required to make much – needed parts and services for U.S. ships , and the U.S. military will need to look overseas for suppliers. We have to maintain the core shipbuilding industrial base that we need.”

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Press Release, February 13, 2014