The U.S. Navy has asked Congress to add $64 million to its 2018 fiscal year budget to commence action on a series of reforms after deadly collisions involving two warships last year, USNI News reported Monday.
Seventeen sailors perished from two separate collisions involving the USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S. McCain last year. Reviews of the incidents identified more than 100Â areas that the Navy should address to foster readiness and safety measures,Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran said.Â
Among the reform items mentioned in the Defense Department reprogramming request are:
- $22.6 million to create the Mariner Skills Training Program in Newport, R.I.; San Diego and Norfolk, Va.
- $16.2 million for additional enlisted pay and benefits to boost training programs
- $8.5 million to fast-track the deployment of the Next Generation Surface Search Radar
- $7.18 million to boost the Navy’s Manpower Requirement System
- $4 million for budget and accounting modernization
- $2.3 million to create the U.S. 2nd Fleet
- $1.8 million to facilitate the design review for a Naval Sea Systems Command ship control system
- $1.3 million for the update of Automatic Identification Systems laptops
- $0.3 million for the use of the U.S. Naval Academy Yard Patrol craft for Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps
