By Geoff Fein
For FY ’11, the Navy has outlined three unfunded requests totaling $532 million for aviation spares, and aviation and ship maintenance.
“Although these unfunded requirements are not of higher priority than anything contained in the Navy’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget submissions, these accounts are stressed by increased operational tempo, especially in support of efforts in Afghanistan,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead wrote to lawmakers Feb. 12.
The FY ’11 request is $137 million above last year’s $395 million in unmet needs the Navy submitted to lawmakers.
This year’s unfunded programs list continues the effort introduced last year to move programs to the baseline and not go back to the Hill with a wish list of items.
For FY ’11 the Navy is seeking $423 million in aviation spares support for 100 Type/Model/Series and 3,700 individual fleet aircraft.
According to the unfunded priorities list submitted by Roughead: “Aircraft spares and repair parts demand experienced [a] 40 percent requirements increase due largely to V-22, EA-18G, F/A-18E/F, and E-2C/D OPTEMPO increase.”
The Navy has also submitted a request of $74 million for aviation depot maintenance. That will fund 21 deferred airframes and 342 deferred engines, according to the Navy.
“CENTCOM OPTEMPO increased from approximately 188 percent of T&R (training and readiness) matrix in FY ’09 to 205 percent of T&R matrix in FY ’10,” the Navy said. “Increased engine wear necessitates additional depot repair inductions.”
In its FY ’11 budget request, the Navy is seeking approximately $1.4 billion for aircraft depot maintenance.
The service’s unfunded programs list also requests $35 million to fund nine deferred surface ship non-docking availabilities. “Current CENTCOM demand required deferral of scheduled maintenance,” according to the Navy.
In FY ’10, the sea service sought $200 million to fund 20 surface ship availabilities.
In FY ’09, the Navy submitted an unfunded priorities request of $120 million for ship maintenance.