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House Armed Services Committee
Subcommittee Chairman Taylor's statement--March 01, 2007

"This subcommittee has long supported integrating nuclear propulsion into our major battle force ships in a bi-partisan manner. In fact, it was my good friend, Roscoe Bartlett, the former chairman of this subcommittee, who convinced me that nuclear power for our ships is in the best interest of the Navy and the Nation's national security.

"The United States is a maritime nation. Our ability to influence world events and protect the peace rests squarely with our ability to project our military power, anywhere in the world on short notice, without the need for host nation support. The United States Navy is the only service than can meet those three challenges: short-notice deployability, worldwide reach, and operational independence.

"The Navy has long understood the advantages of nuclear power for our aircraft carriers. Our active carriers, except one, have nuclear propulsion systems. The carrier can surge at high speed, arrive on station to immediately carry out its mission, and stay indefinitely.

"The Navy has also long understood the advantage of nuclear power for our submarines. They have the ability to transit at high speed and conduct their missions independently of logistics support.

"There was a time when Congress also understood the advantages of nuclear power. The 1975 National Defense Authorization Act mandated the Navy to construct all its battle force ships with nuclear propulsion plants. Unfortunately, that requirement was repealed in 1979, based on what I believe were shortsighted budgetary concerns.

"I note in the witnesses' prepared testimonies that the analysis of nuclear power for surface ships and amphibious ships presents many advantages of nuclear-powered warships. It indicates, however, that "vulnerability" is viewed primarily as an issue of the ship surviving a particular weapons impact.

"I believe this baseline assumption is incorrect. In its analysis, the Navy has failed to adequately factor in the vulnerability of its oiler fleet and the required mission trade-off when refueling.

"In this age when guaranteed access to fossil fuel becomes more problematic, it is difficult to understand the Navy's reluctance to vigorously pursue nuclear propulsion for all large battle force ships.

"I applaud the Navy and the current CNO for providing Congress a long needed, steady shipbuilding plan, but that plan does not seriously address the power system for those ships. I understand the Navy is concerned about acquisition affordability, and if the Congress decides to build these vessels with nuclear power systems, then we must provide the funding to do so.

"It is evident that in today's world the advantages of nuclear power systems fully justify the relatively modest increases in up-front acquisition costs. These advantages include:

• Unlimited on-station endurance;
• Decreased ship vulnerability by eliminating the need for underway replenishment of fuel;
• Cost savings to submarine and carrier construction based on increased orders of nuclear components;
• The ability to design a power system with significant excess electric power generation capability, which can be used to support emerging technologies such as directed energy weapons and rail guns;
• Increased flexibility for the Carrier Strike Group to maneuver at high speed without being tied to a logistics requirement; and, most importantly,
• Freedom from the need to rely on foreign sources of fossil fuel for conventional propulsion systems.

"Today the subcommittee will receive testimony from Navy senior leaders on outfitting future surface combatants and amphibious assault ships with integrated nuclear propulsion systems.

"The subcommittee is pleased to welcome:

• The Honorable Delores Etter, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition;
• Admiral Kirk Donald, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion;
• VADM Paul Sullivan, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command;
• VADM Jonathon Greenert, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources; and
• RADM Barry McCullough, Director, Surface Warfare Division.

"I thank the witnesses for appearing today. I would now like to recognize the gentleman from Maryland, Roscoe Bartlett for any opening remarks he would like to make."