MILITARY CONSTRUCTION APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1981 MONDAY, MARCH 10, 1980 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met at 10:05 a.m., in room 1318, Everett McKinley Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Walter D. Huddleston (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Huddleston and Schmitt. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY STATEMENT OF REAR ADM. D. G. ISELIN, CEC, U.S. NAVY AND COMMANDER, NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND ACCOMPANIED BY: REAR ADM. J. D. MURRAY, JR., USN, PROJECT MANAGER, TRIDENT SYSTEM PROJECT OFFICE, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL MATERIAL CMDR. G. T. SMITH, USN, STRATEGIC SUBMARINE DIVISION, OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS (SUBMARINE WARFARE) CMDR. F. JERDING, USN, TRIDENT SYSTEM PROJECT OFFICE, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL MATERIAL CMDR. E. R. WILSON, CEC, USN, AOICC PLANS AND PROGRAMS, TRIDENT NAVAL FACILITIES ENGINEERING COMMAND NAVY STRATEGIC MISSION Senator HUDDLESTON. The subcommittee will come to order. Today we are continuing our hearings into the fiscal year 1981 request for military construction funds. Our particular topic for this morning's session is construction in support of the Navy's strategic mission. The Navy's total fiscal year 1981 construction request for the strategic mission is some $47 million, or approximately 6.7 percent of the overall budget. Our investment in facilities for the new Trident based at Bangor, Wash., while drawing to a close, is substantial. Our activities at Kings Bay and Charleston in support of Poseidon squadrons are ongoing. The potential construction at Kings Bay to homeport Tridents on the east coast is significant. It is these matters which we wanted to examine this morning and I welcome our witnesses. Admiral Iselin, you may continue. BANGOR, WASH./KINGS BAY, GA. Admiral ISELIN. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am pleased to have this opportunity to appear before you to address the fiscal year 1981 request for military construction in support of the strategic forces at the Naval Submarine Base, Bangor, Wash. and the Naval Submarine Support Base at Kings Bay, Ga. Before addressing this year's request, I would like to briefly explain the military construction requirement at Kings Bay for relocating the Fleet Ballistic Missile Squadron from Rota, Spain. and then the status of selecting an east coast Trident base. Background on selecting Kings Bay for the Rota squadron and prior year construction for this purpose are included as a supplement to my statement. On the 26th of January 1978, the Secretary of the Navy announced the selection of Kings Bay for the location of the submarine support base for relocating the submarine squadron from Rota, Spain and for support of backfitted Poseidon submarines. On July 2, 1979, the tender arrived at Kings Bay and the base was operational for Submarine Squadron Sixteen. The dredging, tender mooring, berthing improvements and necessary roads and utilities were completed on time, within the funds available. This is a noteworthy achievement. The east coast basing of the Trident submarine is a separate decision from the site selection decision made in January 1978 for the relocation of the Rota Poseidon squadron. The Secretary of the Navy, on May 24, 1979, announced that Kings Bay, Ga. was selected as the preferred alternative location for the possible construction of an Atlantic coast strategic submarine base. This selection initiated a formal process leading to final selection and approval for construction. PREPARATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT The Navy is preparing the environmental impact statement evaluating the impact associated with the construction of an Atlantic coast strategic submarine base. This statement is to be completed in August 1980 and based upon the findings the final site selection. is anticipated shortly thereafter. KINGS BAY FACILITY The fiscal year 1981 request for Kings Bay of $18 million includes the last increment of facilities for the Poseidon program. Included in the program are operational and personnel support facilities and utilities and site improvements. The Navy's initial plan for construction at Kings Bay included three fiscal years of military construction. In my statement during last year's hearings, I indicated that the Kings Bay construction total for the 3 years including the fiscal year request was $83 million and that additional facilities for the Rota relocation would be required beyond fiscal year 1980. This year's request of $18 million, if funded, will bring the Kings Bay construction total to $105 million excluding family housing. No additional facilities for the Rota relocation will be required beyond this year's request. |