After the November Nuclear Enterprise Reviews (NER) found investment shortfalls in nuclear forces, the Navy is requesting an additional $407 million for its leg of the nuclear triad in Fiscal Year 2016, and $2.2 billion over the Future Years’ Defense Program, the chief of Navy’s strategic missile force stated yesterday in written testimony to House lawmakers. Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, Director of Navy Strategic Systems Programs, said the Navy is working to reduce administrative burdens imposed on nuclear forces and is clarifying the nuclear deterrent enterprise leadership structure. Most NER findings were not new to Benedict. “Fortunately the Navy’s internal Nuclear Weapons Assessment and the SSP Comprehensive Self-Assessment identified most of the issues underscored during the NER. In fact, the report validated numerous efforts already underway,” Benedict’s testimony stated. “The Navy has taken active steps to address the more than 68 recommendations with Navy equity contained in the report. Significant action has been taken to implement each recommendation, generally focused on a few key areas, including: oversight, investment, and personnel and training improvements.”
Benedict also said the Navy plans to beef up Strategic Mission personnel by a factor of $28 million in FY 2016, in part, to resolve the maintenance backlog on ballistic missile submarines. Another NER recommendation was to improve infrastructure at Strategic Weapons Facilities, which the Navy has pledged to invest $324 million across the FYDP to address. "Navy is developing a 20 year investment plan to ensure the continued reliability of critical infrastructure at these facilities to support nuclear weapons movement and operations," Benedict stated. "While the Navy has made significant progress through actions taken to date, we recognize much work remains to be accomplished. The Navy is confident we have the right emphasis, oversight and processes in place to maintain a credible, modern, and safe sea-based deterrent."