Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009

DUNCAN HUNTER NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009 -- (House of Representatives - May 21, 2008)

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Mr. WITTMAN of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009,
and I would like to thank Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member Hunter for their extraordinary leadership and their bipartisan manner in which this bill was crafted, and also would like to recognize Ranking Member Hunter's extraordinary legacy of leadership as he leaves us as his duty on this committee expires.

I would like to take a moment to highlight some of the important aspects of this bill. Nothing is more vital to our Nation's forward presence and security than the aircraft carrier, and it remains unacceptable to allow the total number of aircraft carriers to diminish.

Maintaining the statutory requirement of 11 aircraft carriers is essential to maintaining our superiority on the high seas, and we must continue to develop the industrial base and promote shipbuilding to establish a floor, not a ceiling, of 313 ships in our Navy. I urge support for this important aspect of this bill.

I would also like to take a moment to discuss the importance of directed energy and electromagnetic weapons systems, a top priority of the Chief of Naval Operations' unfunded priority list. Increased funding for this research, development, testing, and evaluation will accelerate the installation and deployment of critical ship self-defense improvements. The weapons systems we are developing through this directed energy program will counter rockets, artillery, mortar, and unmanned aerial vehicles for ship and expeditionary base defense, and will ensure the safety of our fighting men and women. Such funding promotes Navy objectives, and the development of directed energy weapons will provide unique capability against emerging asymmetric threats, thereby increasing our Nation's effectiveness on the global war on terror.

Lastly, I would like to discuss the importance of basing our defense budget on 4 percent of GDP, and I hope that we are able to address this in the future as that is one important part of this bill that is lacking.

I would also like to talk about the importance of submarines in our national defense. Assessing the feasibility and cost of actions to maximize the service life and number of Los Angeles class submarines and assessing the attack submarine force structure requirement in the 2009 Quadrennial Defense Review and basing such an assessment on combatant commander requirements are important aspects of this bill. Submarines have been a central component of our naval forces for over a century, and today the submarine helps our Navy conduct numerous operations around the world. Our national defense demands that we have a strong and capable naval fleet, and we must maximize the use of the very capable Los Angeles class submarine and base our force structure on what commanders in the field and on the seas need to accomplish their diverse joint missions. We must keep our number of submarines high, and this aspect of the bill would be a positive step in strengthening our Nation's fighting forces.

I am honored to do my role in supporting the men, women, and equipment of our Nation's military.

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