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Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01) testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense to highlight the need to support the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in St. Marys during fiscal year 2016 budget discussions.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A HIGH-RES COPY Carter testifies on the importance of First District military installations before House Appropriations Committee

After highlighting the indispensable role the fleet of submarines located at Kings Bay plays in our national defense, Carter requested that the House Appropriations Committee consider a replacement to the Ohio-class submarine during this year's budget discussions to prevent a gap in the retirement of the Ohio-class boats and their replacement.

"While these submarines fulfill a critical role in nuclear deterrence and readiness, they will soon be reaching the end of their expected timeline and a replacement will be needed," said Carter. "The first Ohio-class replacement submarine was originally scheduled to be procured in fiscal year 2019, but necessary deferments by the Navy have pushed back that timeline. This means that there may be a gap in the retirement of the Ohio-class boats and the procurement and production of its replacement class of boats. Due to this concern, I submitted a request to the Appropriations Committee in support of the Department of Defense’s budget line of $1.391 billion for the Ohio replacement development in accordance with the President’s budget."

During his testimony, Carter also shared his concerns and priorities for the rest of the military installations within Georgia's First Congressional District including Fort Stewart, Hunter Army Air Field, the Townsend Bombing Range and Moody Air Force Base.
 
Excerpts of Carter's testimony are below. To view Carter's full testimony before the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, please click here.

Thank you for this opportunity to share with you my concerns and priorities for the military installations within Georgia’s First Congressional District.  It’s an honor to represent a district which houses four major military installations, every branch of the military, and thousands of veterans who have served our country so honorably. With this unique military footprint, the district’s defense elements are important not just to our state and region but to the nation and America’s interests around the world.

...Nearby Fort Stewart, my district proudly includes the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, located in St. Marys, Georgia. Kings Bay is the home port for the Atlantic ballistic missile submarine fleet.  The fleet of submarines located at Kings Bay plays an indispensable role in our nation’s security as an element of the nation’s nuclear triad.  It is currently home to 8 Ohio-class submarines, six of which are ballistic missile submarines and two of which have been converted to guided missile submarines. While these submarines fulfill a critical role in nuclear deterrence and readiness, they will soon be reaching the end of their expected timeline and a replacement will be needed.  The last guided missile submarine is expected to be retired in 2028, leaving the Navy with a 60% reduction in in undersea strike capacity.

The first Ohio-class replacement submarine was originally scheduled to be procured in fiscal year 2019, but necessary deferments by the Navy have pushed back that timeline. This means that there may be a gap in the retirement of the Ohio-class boats and the procurement and production of its replacement class of boats.  Because of this, I submitted a programmatic request in support of the Department of Defense’s budget line of $1.391 billion for the Ohio replacement development in accordance with the President’s budget.

The Virginia-class fast attack submarine is another major program with a critical role in the defense of our nation and our Navy. With the Ohio-class replacements on the horizon, Virginia-class submarines will continue to fulfill a larger role in the submarine fleet, especially with their life expectancy projected to reach as far as 2070.  The Virginia Payload Module (VPM) is a cost-effective way to preserve our undersea strike capacity by adding expanded capabilities and armaments to the Virginia-class submarine fleet.  With the rise in development and procurement of anti-access and area denial systems, undersea strikes will, through necessity, assume a more dominant role in future conflicts.  It is through an expansion program, like the Virginia Payload Module, that we would be able to effectively maintain our capabilities while assuming cost savings until a guided missile replacement can enter service.  The development of the Virginia Payload Module must continue to ensure that all Block 5 boats procured in fiscal year 2019 through 2023 can incorporate the capabilities of the expansion. This will help to ensure that we don’t have a loss in undersea strike capabilities between the retirement of the Ohio-class submarine and the procurement and construction of its replacement boat. It is for all these reasons discussed that I am requesting $168 million for the development of the Virginia Payload Module.

...Thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony to the Subcommittee today.  With our rich military heritage, these issues are extremely important to me and my constituents in the First District of Georgia. I’m very proud of the men and women who serve in our military and it is my intention, as I am sure it is yours, to do everything possible to ensure they continue to be the best equipped, most highly trained, and well cared for fighting force in the world.  I appreciate your attention to these requests and thank you again for the time today.