Why Are Spare Parts on the Unfunded List? Senator Asks Navy's Top Officer
Sailors are cannibalizing parts to keep equipment operational.
CAITLIN M. KENNEY | MAY 26, 2022
If readiness is so important to the U.S. Navy, why are some spare parts on the service’s unfunded priorities list?
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., pressed the Navy’s top officer on that point Tuesday. The chair of the Senate’s defense appropriations subcommittee brought up last August’s deadly crash of an MH-60S helicopter, which was caused by the failure of a damaged damper hose, which the senator said costs about $100,000.
“I think this committee wants to make sure we're providing our warfighters with the necessary funding to ensure that the equipment they're using is adequately maintained. It's pretty basic,” Tester told Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations; and Gen. David Berger, Marine Corps commandant. “That means getting the necessary spare parts and safety equipment up front, not after something like this happens.”
He noted that the Navy and Marine Corps’ unfunded priorities lists—items that service leaders want but not enough to devote part of this year’s budget to—include some categories of spare parts for warships, F/A-18 fighter jets, MH-60S helicopters, and more.
https://www.defenseone.com/policy/2022/05/why-are-spare-parts-unfunded-list-senator-asks-cno/367477/
