The Senate Appropriations Committee passed a $549.3 billion spending plan for the Defense Department’s fiscal year 2015 base budget and Overseas Contingency Operations fund, which includes a major boost to Navy aviation but big cuts to the Army and Air Force aviation accounts, as well as sizable gains for Navy shipbuilding and Army ground vehicles.
Whereas the House Appropriations Committee made cuts to the Navy’s request for Littoral Combat Ships, the Senate committee actually provided more money than requested. The Navy originally intended to buy four in FY ’15 but scaled back its request due to budget pressures, instead hoping to buy three in FY ’15 and the last in FY ’16. HAC asked the Navy to instead buy two in ’15 and two in ’16. The Senate committee not only agreed to pay for the three ships in ‘15 but also offered an additional $80 million to ensure the Navy could buy all the long-lead materials now “to preserve block buy pricing.” It did, however, slow the procurement of LCS mission packages to match the slowed procurement of the ships.
The committee provided $800 million for a 12th LPD amphibious transport dock, which the Navy did not request but the committee said would address a critical amphibious lift shortfall.
The Senators also offered money for another unrequested ship, an additional Joint High Speed Vessel. “Based on the ability of the JHSV to support all branches of the military services, provide intra-theater sealift, operate in littoral environments and austere port environments, and support humanitarian/disaster relief activities, the Committee supports procuring additional JHSVs to address the original requirement,” the committee’s report reads, noting the Navy cut its original plans to buy 18 down to 10. “Furthermore, the Committee notes that one JHSV is being used as an experimental test platform for Navy technology projects. Therefore, the Committee recommends $200[million] to procure one JHSV in fiscal year 2015.”
The senators rejected several cuts that HAC attempted to make in the shipbuilding account, choosing to provide full funding for the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and advance procurement for the Virginia-class attack submarines. The committee did provide $20 million less than requested for Virginia-class procurement, though the House chose to make an even larger cut.
They chose to slow the Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) due to excess growth in ashore funding and installation funding, as well as fears of concurrent testing and procurement. The original ship CANES was to be tested on, USS Milius (DDG-69), experienced unrelated problems prior to testing. Instead, testing will begin next month on the USS Higgins (DDG-76). “The committee is concerned with the steep increase in procurement of systems planned for fiscal year 2015, and that the program will reach its maximum production rate before significant testing results can be completed. Therefore, the Committee recommends a reduction of six systems from the fiscal year 2015 budget request.”
Along with Navy ships, Army ground vehicles saw significant support from the committee. The House committee had recommended $50 million for the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles to keep production going, whereas the Army had proposed a two-year gap in production. The senators instead recommend $250 million for the program. “The Committee notes that the lack of funding in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 will shut down FMTV production for 2 years and will negatively impact the industrial base, resulting in higher acquisition costs when the Army restarts procurement in fiscal year 2017 as planned.”
Pointedly, the committee goes on to say in its report that “the Committee understands that fiscal constraints force difficult tradeoffs; however, during its budget review, the Committee identified over $750[million] in poorly budgeted funds within the Other Procurement, Army account, Had the Army performed a similarly rigorous budget review, these excess funds could have been used to address not only the shortfall in FMTV, but other programs as well.”
In its research and development section, the senators provide $92 million for the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle. They note, however, that the Army needs 3,007 vehicles for lower levels but could need 1,900 or more additional vehicles if AMPV is used to transport Echelons Above Brigade (EAB) level personnel. The report says the Army has not decided if it would conduct an analysis of alternatives for the EAB level requirement, but the senators dog-ear $4 million for that AoA and require that the results be sent to congressional defense committees within 15 days.
The Senate committee recommends $$410 million for Stryker procurement, halfway between the Pentagon request and the House’s $50-million plus-up. It provides $37 million more than requested for Bradley fighting vehicle modifications, the $120 million for Abrams tank upgrades included in the House bill, and $76 million more than requested for the Hercules Improved Recovery Vehicle M88A2
In the Air Force aircraft section, senators cut $222 million from the F-35 request–going the opposite direction of the House, which chose to add funding for two additional aircraft. Among other things, the senators cited expectations for lower airframe costs going forward and reduced funding for all three F-35 variants. The senators did, however, reject House-proposed cuts to the F-35 modification funding, instead funding it at the administration’s requested level.
With Army aviation, the senators note their concerns about the helicopter restructure plan for the National Guard and active duty units. “The Committee believes the Army has not considered the full fiscal implications of the proposal, and the Army has not provided the Committee a comprehensive divestiture plan for retiring helicopters,” the report notes. “The Army’s cost estimate fails to account for increased costs to procure and maintain additional Lakota helicopters, to train the Army Active Duty and Army National Guard pilots for the new missions, and to operate and maintain Apaches and Black Hawks.” They require the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office to report on the full cost of the plan within 120 days.
In Navy aviation, the senators provide $1.2 billion for 12 additional Growlers, plus another $100 million to bring the production rate up to at least two planes a month. The Navy did not ask for any money for Growlers, and the House provided $325 million less than the Senate’s major investment.
The Senate rejected House efforts to buy two additional F-35s, one additional P-8A Poseidon, one E-2D Hawkeye and one UH-1Y/AH-1Z beyond the Pentagon’s request. Instead, the senators provide some advance procurement funding for these programs.
Like all the other defense committees, the Senate Appropriations Committee found room in the budget to refuel the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) and keep its airwing. The Navy had not made a decision on keeping or retiring the ship when it submitted its budget in February, but Navy sources said that if the ship were to be retired, the Navy would break its joint multiyear contract for MH-60 helicopters, risking making the Army pay more per frame for theirs. The Senate committee notes in its report that the carrier will be refueled and therefore the Navy will continue as planned with the multiyear deal on the helos.
The lawmakers funded the Navy’s Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike system, though they note concerns with the acquisition strategy so far. “The Committee is concerned that the Navy is proceeding with UCLASS development prior to the formal establishment of stable requirements. For example, earlier this year, the Navy issued a second draft request for proposals for the air segment, which included changes to the key performance parameters from the original draft. The changes in requirements forced industry to significantly change their air vehicle designs to better meet the amended parameters. This could have been avoided if the UCLASS requirements had been formally established through a Joint Requirements Oversight Council approved capability development document [CDD] prior to issuing a draft request for proposal.”
Before any of the spending is finalized, the full Senate will need to debate and pass the bill, and the Senate appropriators will meet with their House counterparts to work out the differences. Senate Appropriations Committee spokesman Vince Morris said there was no timeline yet for when the bill might go to the Senate floor.