The Senate Armed Services Committee took up the issues of acquisition reform and accountability during the confirmation hearing for the prospective deputy secretary of defense, Robert Work.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) stopped short of threatening to put a hold on the nomination, but he did have harsh words for Work, a vocal supporter of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) when he served as the Navy undersecretary from 2009 to 2013.
McCain asked about Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s announcement this week that the LCS program would be halted at 32 instead of 52. Work explained that instead of pursuing the last 20 ships with the original LCS design, the Navy will instead consider a modified LCS or a new design to serve as a follow-on small surface combatant meant to be more survivable and more in line with combatant commander requirements compared to the current LCS.
“I think this is very normal in Navy shipbuilding,” Work started to say of the effort to develop a second generation design, but McCain interrupted him: “You think it’s normal? You think it’s normal, the cost overruns associated with this ship, the fact that we don’t even know what the mission is?”
Work, without the most updated cost figures in front of him, ran through the history of cost overruns and putting the program back on track, saying that “the cost of today’s LCSs are very close to the cost that was set back in 2002, 2003.”
McCain was not convinced. “Mr. Work, every objective study where the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, Government Accountability Office, every other objective observer of LCS, it’s not been anywhere near what was presented to Congress for funding [levels],” McCain said. “And this makes me wonder about your qualifications because one of the things we are plagued with is significant cost overruns and lack of capability” in major acquisition programs.
McCain’s office said that the senator supports the reduction to 32 LCSs, but it did not say whether he would put a hold on Work’s nomination.
Other SASC members also hit on the point of acquisition accountability. In his opening statement, Ranking Member Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said “continued waste and inefficiency within the Department is exacerbating unwise budget cuts and robbing precious resources from our warfighters. Every dollar consumed by waste and inefficiency is a dollar that cannot be used to rebuild readiness and defeat our adversaries. This is particularly true in the defense acquisition process. For example, my staff is informed it requires 80,000 man hours to produce the documents required to pass Milestone A for a Major Defense Acquisition Program, and over 100,000 man hours to produce the documents to pass Milestone B for a MDAP. This is ridiculous. Making sense of a convoluted and cumbersome acquisition process and instituting common-sense reforms will be vital steps towards maximizing taxpayer dollars to deliver necessary technology to our military men and women on budget and on schedule.”
Several senators asked Work about particular acquisition programs. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) asked about the HH-60G Pave Hawk combat rescue helicopter, which was included in the fiscal year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act as the Air Force seeks a replacement for its 30-year-old combat rescue helo.
“I don’t know if I can make a firm commitment; I promise and I vow to work with Congress to work through this issue,” Work said. “The department is struggling to come up with the overall size and capability and capacity of the combat rescue force, and so it may be that the department will come back and recommend some changes. But I will promise and vow that I will work closely with you and members of this committee and members of Congress to make sure this issue is looked at carefully.”
And Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), in a show of support for Marine Corps amphibious lift, said, “I do remain seriously concerned that our Navy may be unable to support all requests for amphibious ships for our combatant commanders. I secured a provision in the most recent NDAA [requiring] the commandant of the Marine Corps to inform Congress on the number of amphibious ships required for the Marine Corps to execute the president’s national security strategy. This committee eagerly awaits the commandant’s reply later this year. Mr. Work, if you were confirmed, will you pledge to meet with me and other members of the committee within 30 days to discuss in plain English the Department of Defense’s plan to provide sufficient amphibious ships to execute the full range of operational requirements from the combatant commanders?”
Work, a retired Marine artillery officer, simply replied, “yes, sir.”