Wittman: Aircraft carrier block buy will be in mark-up, 'confident' Navy can make the case

By Justin Katz / April 11, 2018 at 10:11 AM

House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee Chairman Rob Wittman (R-VA) said today approval for an anticipated aircraft carrier block buy will be in his subcommittee's mark-up of the fiscal year 2019 authorization bill.

A potential two-ship buy for CVN-80 and CVN-81 has been in Wittman's sights for some time, and just yesterday Newport News Shipbuilding revealed it has informed the Navy a block buy will save $1.6 billion. That figure lines up with both historical figures for similar purchases and what Navy officials have previously said a two-ship carrier buy would likely yield in savings.

Speaking to reporters this morning at the Sea-Air-Space symposium, Wittman said he is "very confident" the Navy will be able to make its case.

"I think if you now include not only in what the yard can do to increase efficiencies, but what the industry can do, and what the suppliers can do," he said. The suppliers can increase their efficiency because of the "additional certainty" of a block buy, Wittman said.

The issue appears to have bipartisan support within the House subcommittee since Ranking Member Joe Courtney (D-CT) has also publicly expressed his support for the block buy.

The House committee will begin marking up the bill April 26.

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