Undistributed PAC

What this funds

NOAA's Fleet Plan, released in 2016, assesses NOAA's at-sea observational infrastructure needs through 2028 for carrying out its mission of protecting lives, livelihoods, and valuable natural resources for the American public. It identifies an integrated approach consisting of best management practices and long-term recapitalization levers to extend and sustain capabilities. The plan includes the critical long-term strategy of designing and constructing new ships specifically designed to meet NOAA core capabilities based on mission and activities. NOAA is actively working on an updated Fleet plan that assesses NOAA's operational requirements. Since releasing the Fleet Plan, NOAA has made concerted efforts to strengthen its knowledge of the condition of the fleet. Material condition assessments paired with the American Bureau of Shipping Service Life Assessments have resulted in better confidence in the condition of NOAA ships; that and increased funding have improved the readiness of the fleet. As a result of these efforts and other best practices, the end of service lives for many of NOAA's ships have been extended from the dates published in the 2016 Fleet Plan; however, the trend of condition deterioration remains the same. In FY 2027, NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson will begin a year- long Modernization & Revitalization Project (MRP) to reliably and consistently sustain NOAA's at-sea data collection capability. The Henry Bigelow will undergo an MRP in FY 2028. These revitalization projects, supported with prior year funding, will allow NOAA to integrate new technology on ships including propulsion and environmental upgrades, while extending the service lives of some vessels by decades. These efforts are a part of sustaining NOAA's comprehensive vessel recapitalization strategy. NOAA's ships need to be multi-mission adaptable and provide the infrastructure and capabilities necessary to carry out its mission now and in the future. In contrast to the wide variety of vessel types that currently comprise the NOAA Fleet, NOAA intends to reduce the number of ship classes in the future. Each class will meet a core mission requirement with secondary missions that allow all NOAA vessels to provide multi-mission capabilities. NOAA will standardize core equipment as much as possible and incorporate the latest technologies across the Fleet. Up to date technology and standardization are critical for NOAA to sustain optimal crewing and The Vessel Recapitalization and Construction program supports vessel acquisition, including instrumentation specific to NOAA missions, and MRPs. This request ensures NOAA meets the Administration's maritime dominance goals, including EO 14269, to revitalize the American shipbuilding industry by making United States-flagged and built vessels and strengthening the maritime workforce. The program oversees these activities, which include a rigorous analysis of mission priorities, design, and alternative options to meet prioritized activities. Efforts will be made throughout the process to leverage design aspects of previous ship classes and to create standardization across the Fleet to meet multiple core mission activities.

Extracted from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, p. 80. Verbatim; nothing here is paraphrased.

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