February 28 , 2008
Dear Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition Member:
We are writing to provide you with an update on legislative action regarding carrier funding in the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget. The President submitted his budget request for FY09 to Congress at the beginning of February, and again this year it contains good news for aircraft carriers. The request includes funding for the CVN 21, RCOH, Continuous Maintenance and Inactivation Programs as well as continued Carrier RDT&E funds.
In all cases we urge you to support the President’s Budget Request.
These programs are outlined below:
- CVN 21 PROGRAM
The President’s Budget request includes $2.712B in Procurement funding for CVN 78 and $1.214B in Advanced Procurement funding for CVN 79. This year’s CVN 78 request represents the second of four year financing authorized in the FY07 Defense Authorization Act. CVN 79 Advance Procurement principally funds long lead material and keeps the ship on track for full-scale construction funding starting in FY12.
- RCOH PROGRAM
The President’s Budget request includes $606.6M in procurement funding for CVN 71 RCOH. This year’s request accelerates commencement of the RCOH to FY09, and funds the RCOH effort over a three year (FY09-FY11) period. This acceleration is great news for the industrial base as well as for the operational availability of the Navy’s aircraft carriers. In addition, there is $21.4M in Advance Procurement funding for the CVN 72 RCOH in FY09. Additional Advance Procurement funding is expected in FY10 through FY12 to support commencement of the CVN 72 RCOH in FY13.
- CVN 65 CONTINUOUS MAINTENANCE PROGRAM
The President’s Budget request includes $10.9M in Procurement funding for CVN 65 continuous maintenance for FY09, $29.7M for FY10 and $51.7M for FY11. The funding supports maintaining this one-of-a-kind vessel until the end of her life, currently scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2012.
- CARRIER RDT&E
The President’s Budget request includes a total of $351.7M in ongoing RDT&E funds for aircraft carrier programs. These funds help ensure our nation’s aircraft carriers remain technologically advanced while also remaining affordable.
We believe this is a great time for coalition members to contact their U.S. Representatives and Senators, especially the Appropriators, and urge them to support our nation’s aircraft carriers by maintaining the President’s Budget funding request. It is important to emphasize that continuation of funding for CVN 78 and the commencement of funding for the CVN 71 RCOH are both critical to the industrial base and to the U.S. Navy.
To ensure that this process is simple for you, the co-chairs will submit a letter on behalf of the ACIBC to the relevant House and Senate Committees requesting support for the President’s budget. The letter will include a list of all companies that comprise the ACIBC. If you do not want your company included in this funding request letter, please email the ACIBC at info@acibc.org by March 5, 2008.
We hope this update has been helpful. If you have any questions, please contact Catrell Brown with the ACIBC at 202-585-2743 or info@acibc.org. Thanks very much for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you at Action Days 2008 on April 23 and 24 in Washington, D.C.
Best regards,
| Rick Giannini Chair, ACIBC President & CEO Milwaukee Valve Company |
Darrell Grow Vice-Chair, ACIBC Chief Operating Officer Ammcon Corporation |