The four ships would be sent to NATO’s naval station in Rota, Spain as part of the White House’s plans for a European missile shield to protect the alliance from Iranian missile strikes.
That pressure will only ramp up the rhetoric on Capitol Hill to bring American forces home, particularly U.S. naval forces. With the Navy preparing to drawdown the size of its fleet, each ship — and the payroll associated with its 300-plus crew members — is even more valuable to lawmakers eager to claim that they’re bringing home the bacon. “The political priority is going to be: Bring them home and put them in my district,” Gordon Adams, a former White House defense budget manager, said regarding congressional concern over deployed U.S. forces. The Rota plan calls for family members and some U.S. civilian employees to join the 1,300 crew members, resulting in nearly 3,500 Americans located at the NATO naval station.
During the same hearing, Alabama Republican Jeff Sessions said argued that bringing back U.S. troops would give the economy a much-needed shot in the arm. “It’s better for those troops to be in the United States, spending their wealth and creating tax growth for the local communities, and jobs,” Sessions said. Levin’s spokesman Bryan Thomas declined to comment on the Aegis deployments to Spain.
Most of the Navy Aegis destroyers destined for Rota will be pulled from the Navy’s Hampton Roads facility, retired Rear Adm. Craig Quigley, executive director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, said in October. Lawmakers representing Hampton Roads already are fighting a Navy plan to move an aircraft carrier from Norfolk to Mayport, Fla., which lost its carrier with the retirement of the John F. Kennedy.
Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., who has led the fight against the carrier move, held off criticizing the Rota plan, based on Panetta’s support for the Navy’s goal of increasing the fleet to 313 ships.
GD chief says Navy’s 1 sub buy won’t impact company short term, but out years less certain
The comments from the General Dynamics chief come on the same day President Joe Biden signed the national security supplemental, which includes billions for the sub industrial base.