Defense Secretary warns shipbuilders of the need to be more cost effective

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said today that Bath Iron Works is well positioned to answer a call from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates for more cost effective shipbuilding.   Speaking at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space symposium at National Harbor, Md. this week, Gates called on Navy contractors to be more efficient.

“Bath is the most efficient shipyard in the country and Secretary Gates has seen first hand what the men and women who work there have done to cut costs and improve quality,” Pingree said.  “They are in an excellent position to deliver high quality ships on schedule while cutting costs at the same time.”
 
Pingree, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, accompanied Gates on a visit to Bath Iron Works last year, his first visit to a shipyard as Secretary of Defense.
 
Pingree also says Gates’ comments highlight the need to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 
“As the Secretary pointed out on Monday, just fixing and replacing all the hardware that has been damaged or destroyed in Iraq and Afghanistan is going to be enormously expensive,” Pingree said.  “It’s just one more reason why we need to bring an end to those wars.”
 
At an Armed Services hearing late last year, Pingree questioned General Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan, over the cost of operations there. 
 
“I worry about the long term costs in lives and financially to this country,” Pingree said to McChrystal.  “We’ve seen a great increase in the number of lives lost and a continued increase in resources spent, with no net improvement in the security situation.”
 
More on Gates’ comments this week can be found here:
 
http://www.pressherald.com/news/biw-agrees-with-gates-ships-need-to-cost-less_2010-05-05.html
 
http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=119