Rep. Randy Forbes, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s seapower subcommittee, has called for more budget for defense systems and seeks to undo the 2015 budget deal, Breaking Defense reported Friday.
According to the story by Sydney Freedberg Jr., Forbes told the publication he believes increasing the Defense Department budget will help DOD to increase the size of the military’s Littoral Combat Ship fleet and acquire more aircraft and missiles for carriers and destroyers.
One of his priorities is the Ohio Replacement program, a nuclear-missile-launching submarine set to replace the legacy Ohio class, Freedberg reports.
The report said HASC members formed a national sea-based deterrent fund to finance the development of submarines beyond the U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding account.
The lawmaker added in the interview that 70 percent of the U.S. nuclear deterrent force will ride on 12 ships, which Freedberg reports are the minimum requirements of the military to perform sea patrols.
