As we noted last month, Navy unmanned and strike programs chief Rear Adm. Mark Darrah said at Sea-Air-Space that the Navy has “decided to go ahead and terminate [Joint Stand-Off Weapon] for 2016″ just two years removed from calling for 1,800 more JSOWs in the Future Years Defense Program. But even though Congress declined to step in when the Navy cut buys last year, the latest defense authorization bill passed by the House suggests there is some resistance to the idea of closing out the program altogether.
The increase — an extra $47.8 million and 85 missiles — is not a big one compared to the 432 missiles the Navy was calling for in this year’s budget back in fiscal 2014.
Still, the House Armed Services Committee said in the bill it has “concerns” about the termination “given the current threat environment, as well as current munition inventories.” It further noted that the request “contradicts” budget justification material that was submitted with last year’s budget, and that Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert has himself admitted to potential shortfalls in JSOW C-1 munitions.
The committee stated it was aware that there could be $2 billion in foreign military sales out there, but lawmakers question whether that’s enough to sustain the JSOW industrial base.
As a result, the bill would call for a boost of 85 missiles, which would bring production up to the minimum sustaining rate.
The move indicates a continuing clash between Navy and Congress that is seen in other programs such as the Tomahawk, where the Pentagon is willing to accept some risk and close out programs in order to improve efficiency while developing new capabilities, and a risk-averse Congress that is wanting the Pentagon to hedge its bets by keeping legacy programs alive.