NORFOLK, Va. — The Navy's proposed $255 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2024 would reduce the fleet by two warships.
With a "strategic pause" until 2027 on new construction of San Antonio-class amphibious transport docks, coupled with the early retirements of three Whidbey Island dock landing ships, the Navy would fall below its requirement to maintain a 31-ship fleet of amphibious warfare vessels, a potential violation of last year's defense policy law.
Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) said Monday that he's "mystified."
"I've heard the testimony from our Navy and Marine leadership enough to know that 31 amphib requirement is the requirement. And somebody is going to have to do a pretty amazing job to convince me otherwise," he said.
Kaine said his panel will be "digging into" the Navy's plans to delay delivery of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy by one year, to 2025. He also wants to learn more about the Navy's plan to decommission the cruiser USS Vicksburg, after having appropriated $175 million to modernize it just two years ago.
"When you see a whipsaw in direction within a short period of time, it attracts questions and oversight. And then we'll have to be doing that: what justifies this? And as of now, I don't know the answer," he said.
Kaine said he intends to push military leaders on why they still have not fully implemented the Congressionally-mandated Brandon Act to improve confidential, stigma-free mental health help for troops outside their own chains of command.
"We did this a while back and it's time to see this put in place," he said.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley are scheduled to testify about the defense budget before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Navy leaders are also set to appear before Kaine's Seapower Subcommittee, also on Tuesday.