We are pleased to announce that Rear Admiral Ann Phillips, US Navy (Ret.), Maritime Administrator/MARAD and Katie Connelly, Project Manager, DDG(X) are confirmed speakers for this meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 0900 to 12:OO EDT at SBG Technology, 1737 King Street, Suite 601, Alexandria, VA. Members will gather on Wednesday, July 20th from 5-7pm for a social hour to connect at Daniel O’Connell’s, 112 King Street in Alexandria. Special thanks to Roger Camp of General Atomics for securing the meeting and social hour venues.
We have asked Admiral Phillips to provide an overview of the MARAD strategy for recapitalizing the strategic sealift and ready reserve fleets, including the options for building new ships and/or buying/ leasing used platforms and how this strategy could potentially affect the shipbuilding industrial supply chain. Ms. Connelly will provide an overview of the DDG(X) program, including whatever information she can provide regarding the program acquisition strategy, including milestones, funding, technology development/insertion, etc. Additionally, in response to recent Congressional legislation and Biden Administration policies, we would be very interested in the Buy America goals that the Program Office has established for this program. Clearly this policy will have a major impact on our members and could significantly help strengthen the domestic supply base in the years ahead and potentially reduce sustainment costs throughout the life of the program. We will also be joined by Matt Evans, Director, Shipbuilding Industrial Base Task Force & Nick Kasatkin, SIB-TF workforce. They will give us an update on the proactive approach you are taking with supplier engagements to ensure a healthy shipbuilding industrial base. And provide an up-date on the report to Congress regarding the manufacturing location of certain components that will summarize the impact to Navy programs if the listed components were to be required to be manufactured within the National Technology Industrial Base (NTIB). This will be a business casual event. We are asking all the speakers to provide remarks for the first 15-20 minutes and then we would have an open discussion session for the remainder of the hour. So please come prepared to participate in these discussions to represent a cross section of large and small businesses involved in the manufacture of critical systems and components for US Navy ships. We look forward to greeting all of you on the 20th and 21st of July in Alexandria. If you have not yet registered, please call Tish Williams at 228-216-9048 or use the attached registration form. If you are unable to join us in person, we are offering a virtual opportunity using Zoom. Please register to receive the link and passcodes to join us. There is a $150 registration fee to attend in person or virtually to support costs of the meeting. We also hope you will invite new member prospects to join us for this meeting. We want to have a good attendance at this meeting so if you are unable to attend please encourage others from your company to join us.
