WASHINGTON, D.C.-U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today questioned Leon Panetta during his confirmation hearing to become the next Secretary of Defense. Senator Collins, who is also a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, raised concerns with the gap between the Navy's stated goal of 313 ships and its current number of ships-285.
"I'm very worried about that gap in this time of budget constraints," Senator Collins told Mr. Panetta. "I'm worried that the Navy has yet to complete the contracts on the DDG-1000, the second and third ships [which are scheduled to be built at Bath Iron Works]. What actions do you think need to be taken to help close the gap between the 285 ship Navy today and the, at a minimum, 313-ship requirement?" she asked.
"I strongly believe the Navy has to project our force throughout the world and that the Navy is obviously crucial to that mission," Mr. Panetta replied. "I agree with the ship numbers that have to be developed for the Navy in order to be able to do that."
Panetta also praised the skilled work force at BIW and said that the key to growing the Navy's fleet will be to develop greater efficiencies in order to cut costs.
"Yours is a great example of having developed those kind of efficiencies that help us on the cost control side and at the same time allows us to continue our shipbuilding capability," Panetta testified. "I do think that greater competition and greater presence of an industrial base that deals with these issues will provide the kind of cost-savings that we will need in order to fulfill that mission."
During the hearing, Senator Collins also raised concerns with current U.S. involvement in Afghanistan and Libya.
"No one wants to lose Afghanistan. And all of us are so mindful of the enormous sacrifices that our military men and women have made in Afghanistan and the enormous amount of taxpayer dollars that have been spent. To me, that seems to be a never ending mission-I don't see how we get to a stable state in Afghanistan," said Senator Collins who questioned whether Afghanistan will ever be able to afford to maintain its own security forces, which in President Obama's budget request this year cost $12.8 billion.
Senator Collins, who has been critical of the U.S. involvement in Libya, also questioned whether the U.S. has an adequate plan in place to deal with the possible outbreak of chaos and violence in Libya should Colonel Moammar Gadhafi leave.
Senator Collins met privately in her office with Panetta last month. During this meeting, Mr. Panetta accepted her invitation to visit Maine, should he be confirmed, for a first-hand look at Maine's enormous contributions to our nation's security.
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