Lawmakers Delay U.S. Ship Transfers What appeared to be smooth sailing for the transfer of a dozen U.S. Navy minesweepers to friendly countries ran into rough weather Dec. 7 when Congressional concerns held up the moves.
“We put a halt to it,” said Rep. Gene Taylor of Mississippi, the incoming Democratic chairman of the House Seapower subcommittee.
The measure to transfer 10 Navy mine ships, amphibious ships and frigates to foreign countries passed the Senate Dec. 7, but Taylor and Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, raised the issue of transferring half the Navy’s Osprey-class coastal minehunters in 2007.
“I want them in the inventory,” Taylor said Dec. 8.
Taylor said he and Skelton called Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter to inform him of their objections.
“They said they’re Cold War-era ships,” Taylor said. “I said no,” and explained the mine threat that struck two Navy warships during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. “The same threat is out there,” he said.
The service already has begun decommissioning the 12 coastal minehunters, known as MHCs, and plans to replace their minehunting capabilities with new Littoral Combat Ships carrying anti-mine mission packages.
Under the proposed plan for 2007, the service intends to offer two MHCs to Lithuania, two to Turkey and two to Taiwan.Also in the bill are the offer of two decommissioned guided missile frigates to Portugal and two LPD amphibious transport dock ships to Mexico. Congress gives the Navy permission in the transfer bills to negotiate with foreign navies, but the transfers don’t always take place.
Taylor stressed his concerns are not with the foreign navies involved in the proposed transfers.
“This has nothing to do with the countries involved,” he said.
Taylor and Skelton are not objecting to the ships being taken out of service, but they want them kept in mothballs should they be needed. “I want that capability in the United States Navy,” Taylor declared.
To a lesser extent, the congressmen also are concerned about giving away amphibious ships without replacements in the fleet today. “I want to hear from the Marine Corps that they’re okay with giving these ships away,” Taylor said, adding he had no objections to the frigate transfers.
Taylor and Skelton are hoping to sit down with Winter and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen in early January to discuss the issue.
“Secretary Winter is looking forward to working with Congressmen Skelton and Taylor to address their concerns,” said Navy spokesperson Capt. Beci Brenton.
The concerns raised by Taylor and Skelton won’t, however, halt the transfer of four MHCs approved by Congress last year. The Cardinal and Raven, both based in the Persian Gulf, are scheduled to be decommissioned and transferred to Egypt on Jan. 7.
Discussions are continuing for the transfer of the Heron and Pelican to Greece next year.Another ship, the amphibious transport dock Trenton, is scheduled to be transferred to India in January.
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