Two Cheers for the Secretary of the Navy

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has an opinion piece up at USNI News that previews his upcoming "posture" appearances on the Hill before the relevant Congressional committees.  There is a lot to like in his words, and he has been using them and others like them increasingly, and with vigor.  Those of us who have waited for the Secretary of the Navy to advocate for the benefits of Seapower had a rough first four years of this Administration, which were capped off with a Presidential debate in which the eventual winner of the race casually dismissed fleet size as a relic of the past.  At times during the first term, it seemed as if Mr. Mabus were more concerned with tangential issues than with the increasing reality of a mismatch between the nation's need for a strong Navy and the Navy it was funding.

To his credit, the past two years of Mr. Mabus' time as Secretary reflect an increasingly effective use of the bully pulpit to proselytize for the benefits of American Seapower; the USNI piece reflects this evolution.  He is spot on when he points out the sorry state of Navy shipbuilding that existed when he came into office, and he is to be commended for his recent realization that when it comes to navies, size DOES matter.

The Evolution of Ray Mabus has been encouraging to watch, and with two years left in this Administration and the likelihood of his being promoted into the Cabinet dwindling, Mr. Mabus has the opportunity to move into the first rank of Navy Secretaries for reasons other than longevity.  He has taken important first steps, but there is more to be done.

First, he must own up to the Navy's dramatically underfunded shipbuilding account.  His prediction of a 300 ship fleet at the end of the decade rests on funding levels that the Navy has not historically received and which it has been unwilling to request.  The 30 Year Shipbuilding Plan is not believable, and it is an open secret.

Second, he must own up to the growing reality that even the unaffordable Navy that is planned is insufficient to the global requirements that are placed upon it.  Put another way, we are dramatically under-funding a Navy that is dramatically smaller than is required.  Someone needs to talk about the Navy we need, not the Navy that current budget allocations can provide for.

Third, the Secretary needs to actively work Capitol Hill.  It is unfortunate for him that during his tenure both chambers have flipped, but the reality is that there are a lot of Members on both sides of the aisle in need of personal attention from the Navy's most eloquent spokesman. There is a massive education effort needed to ensure the Congress understands the link between national power and Seapower, and Mr. Mabus' famous communication skills are needed, not just with members of the four relevant committees.  Whatever his current allocation of time and effort devoted to "managing" the Hill is, it should be doubled.

Finally, he must get personally involved in acquisition discipline.  The carrier program, the enhanced FF, and the Flight III DDG programs are all at a stage where an engaged and interested Secretary can hold feet to the fire to ensure stable designs are developed and change orders are minimized, while ensuring that non-Navy influencers on cost (read: DoD) are managed.  UCLASS, SSBN(X), and the next generation surface combatant will all move forward on his watch, and all could benefit from an engaged and energized Secretary.

I am encouraged by the talk.  Now, let's see the walk.

Bryan McGrath