MAKE THE NAVY GREAT AGAIN: House Approves $22.7B for Shipbuilding.

The bill supports a $22.7-billion shipbuilding budget for the Navy and $20.1 billion for new Navy and Marine Corps aircraft.

The shipbuilding line includes three Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), three Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers (DDG-51), two Virginia-class attack submarines (SSN-774), two John Lewis-class fleet oilers, an Expeditionary Sea Base and a fleet tug.

The spending bill also supports $2.9 billion for advanced procurement of the Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile program, $41 million for the LCU landing craft replacement program and $507.8 million for the Ship-to-Shore Connector program.

The aviation spend includes $1.9 billion for 24 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters, $1.1 billion for 13 MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and $1.8 billion for 10 P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.

The bill also sets aside $9.4 billion for 93 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, split between the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

I’d say, “Faster, please,” but it seems they already got the message.