Y 4. Ar 5/2a: 981-82/63 [H.A.S.C. No. 97-63] FULL FULL COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 7115 TO AUTHORIZE THE TRANSFER OF NINE NAVAL VESSELS TO AND H.R. 3278 TO AMEND TITLE 10, UNITED STATES CODE, TO PROVIDE ADDI- COMMITTEE ON/ARMED SERVICES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D.C., Tuesday, September 21, 1982. The committee met at 10:05 a.m. in room 2118, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Melvin Price (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. This morning the committee has an agenda with three different items on it. The first item will be the consideration of a report from the Seapower and Strategic and Critical Materials Subcommittee on the bill H.R. 7115. Mr. Bennett will make the report. H.R. 7115 REPORT OF HON. CHARLES E. BENNETT, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM FLORIDA, CHAIRMAN, SEAPOWER AND STRATEGIC AND CRITICAL MATERIALS SUBCOMMITTEE Mr. BENNETT. Mr. Chairman, on Monday, September 20, 1982, the Subcommittee on Seapower and Strategic and Critical Materials met to consider H.R. 7115, a bill to authorize the transfer of nine naval vessels to certain foreign governments, and after consideration agreed to report this bill to the full committee with the recommendation that it be favorably reported to the House. The bill would authorize: First, the lease of two patrol combatants of the Asheville class to the Government of Colombia; Second, the lease of three fast patrol boats of the Osprey class to the Government of the Dominican Republic; Third, the sale of one auxiliary drydock of the ARD 12 class to the Government of Ecuador; Fourth, the lease of one oceanographic research ship of the Conrad class to the Government of Mexico; Fifth, the lease of one destroyer tender of the Arcadia class to the Government of Pakistan; and Sixth, the lease of one destroyer tender of the Dixie class to the Government of Turkey. All expenses associated with the transfers would be borne by the government to which a vessel is transferred and leased vessels would be subject to immediate recall. The subcommittee heard testimony that transfer of the ships proposed by the bill would not impede the Navy's stated objective of increasing the size of its fleet. The ships proposed for transfer are not and would not be counted as Navy battlegroup ships. It was pointed out that the mere existence of vessel hulls stored in inactive ship facilities does not increase the defense posture. The subcommittee was persuaded that the proposed transfers are of ships no longer essential to the Navy's needs. They are old ships and would be costly to reactivate, modernize, and operate as a part of the U.S. Navy. In short, their proposed transfer signals no waivering in the determination to develop a fleet of 600 ships capable of carrying out all of its assigned tasks. There was no opposition to the proposed transfers expressed in the subcommittee hearing and the subcommittee is not aware of opposition to the proposed transfers. Mr. Chairman, before I move that the committee favorably report the bill H.R. 7115, I would like to report that prior to consideration of H.R. 7115, the subcommittee held a full hearing on the issue of whether the transfer of naval vessels to foreign nations is in the national security interest of the United States and consistent with the goal of building to a 600-ship Navy. This hearing was pursuant to the commitment made in the statement of managers that accompanied the conference report on the Department of Defense Authorization Act for 1983. As I have previously indicated, the subcommittee was persuaded that the transfer of naval vessels to a foreign nation could be consistent with the national security interest and that it is in the case of H.R. 7115. In the future each proposed transfer will be considered individually. Mr. Chairman, I move that the committee favorably report the bill H.R. 7115. [H.R. 7115 is as follows:] 97TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 7115 To authorize the transfer of nine naval vessels to certain foreign governments. I IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 15, 1982 Mr. PRICE (for himself, Mr. ZABLOCKI, Mr. DICKINSON, and Mr. BROOMFIELD) (by request) introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Armed Services and Foreign Affairs A BILL To authorize the transfer of nine naval vessels to certain foreign governments. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa 2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That the transfer of nine vessels of the United States Navy is 4 hereby authorized as follows: (1) The lease of two patrol combatants of the Asheville class to the Government of Colombia. 5 6 7 8 9 public. (2) The lease of three fast patrol boats of the Osprey class to the Government of the Dominican Re |