The submarine industrial base must remain strong to keep the United States’ military advantage, said Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), whose district includes Electric Boat, a primary maker of submarines for the Navy.
“Maintaining a strong and active industrial base, the likes of which we have right here in eastern Connecticut, is vital to ensuring our country’s continued competitive edge,” Courtney said after touring the General Dynamics [GD]-owned shipyard in the city of Groton.
Courtney accompanied Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who visited the facility to show support for the industrial base as sharp cuts to defense have prompted worries it could deteriorate.
That possibility comes just as the Navy announced in September that construction has begun on the SSN-787, the 13th attack sub in the Virginia-class (Defense Daily, Sept. 9). It marked the first time in 22 years that the Navy got construction underway on two subs in the same fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30.
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ [HII] Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia is the other manufacturer of the Virginia class.