(Washington, D.C.)–Congressman Jim Langevin, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, received a classified briefing today by Naval officials regarding the Navy’s recently publicized study advocating a reduction in the United States' submarine force.  During the meeting, Langevin emphasized to the Naval officials the importance of submarine forces to our national security, as well as the significant contributions they make to the economy of Rhode Island, and New England as a whole.

  “Submarines play a critical role in our military and intelligence-gathering operations throughout the world,” said Congressman Langevin.  “After a briefing and explanation by the Navy, I remain unconvinced of the accuracy of this study and firmly believe that any reduction of the submarine force would increase the vulnerability of our troops in combat situations.  I am committed to a strong, robust submarine component for our armed forces and will continue to press the Navy to shelve this study.  These recommendations should not be used to develop future budget requests.”

 Recently, Langevin and other members of the Rhode Island delegation spearheaded an effort to provide the Navy with multi-year procurement authority to purchase five Virginia-class submarines over five years.  Langevin sought such authority in an effort to bolster America's military fleet, provide substantial savings to taxpayers and strengthen the Rhode Island economy through job creation and retention.
                   
          "We fought for multi-year authority so Rhode Islanders working at Electric Boat would no longer need to worry about losing their jobs due to fluctuations in the Navy's demand for state of the art submarines," Langevin continued.  "We have worked hard to secure five years of sustained, uninterrupted work, and any reduction in the submarine force would have a devastating impact on Rhode Island’s fragile economy.”

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