‘But Trump said Iran war was over’: Jacobs presses Navy Secy as he says, ‘Operations still going on’

Key Concepts

• Operation EpicFury: A recent military operation involving significant expenditure and kinetic activity.
• Distributed Shipbuilding: A strategy to shift from centralized ship construction to a modular approach, aiming for 50% distributed production.
• Right to Repair: The necessity for the Navy to possess intellectual property (IP) rights to maintain and repair systems independently of original contractors.
• Modular Construction: A manufacturing methodology where ship components are built by various partners and assembled at prime shipyards.
• Blue and Gold Crewing: A rotational crewing model (similar to SSGN submarines) used to maximize the operational availability of limited ship classes.
• MACE Missiles: Low-cost, at-scale hypersonic systems procured via multi-year contracts.

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1. Operation EpicFury and Operational Sustainment

• Financial Impact: According to CSIS, Operation EpicFury cost approximately $900 million per day, totaling $3.7 billion in the first 100 hours. Munitions expenditure reached $10–16 billion in the first four days.
• Budgetary Status: Secretary Del Toro noted that the FY27 budget was drafted prior to the operation, necessitating a supplemental request to cover munitions replenishment and maintenance.
• Current Status: Despite a declared ceasefire, the Secretary confirmed that kinetic operations are ongoing in the Strait of Hormuz, with adversaries continuing to launch over 100 one-way attack drones and dozens of cruise missiles daily. The U.S. Navy remains engaged in defensive escort missions.

2. Family Readiness and Personnel Support

• Crisis in San Diego: Reports indicate high levels of "panic and worry" among military families in San Diego due to the lack of information regarding deployment timelines for the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).
• Support Framework: The Marine Corps utilizes Family Readiness Coordinators (active-duty personnel) and spouse-led support networks.
• Policy Concerns: There is significant congressional concern regarding the Marine Corps' potential phase-out of civilian personnel and family readiness programs. The committee emphasized that family support should not be treated as a "collateral duty" for Marines, as it directly impacts mission readiness.

3. Shipbuilding and Industrial Strategy

• Distributed Shipbuilding Goal: The Navy aims to increase distributed shipbuilding from 10% to 50%.
• Measurement Metrics: The Navy plans to use "module count" as the primary metric to track progress, evaluating how modules are distributed among various manufacturers.
• Incentivizing Primes: To encourage prime contractors to share work, the Navy is focusing on collaborative contractual strategies and prototyping to build confidence in the capacity of secondary manufacturers.
• IP Rights: The Navy acknowledged that past reliance on proprietary, locked-in IP has degraded organic maintenance capabilities, specifically citing difficulties in sustaining legacy SPY-1 radar systems.

4. Weapon Systems and Modernization

• USS Zumwalt: The ship is on track for its first conventional prompt strike test in 2027, with Initial Operational Capability (IOC) expected late in the decade.
• Radar Upgrades: The Navy is transitioning from the SPY-3 to the SPY-6 radar. Officials stated this shift is being managed to avoid impacting the critical path for hypersonic capability fielding.
• Operational Availability: Given the small size of the Zumwalt class (three ships), the Navy is exploring "Blue and Gold" crewing models to ensure persistent presence in the Indo-Pacific theater.
• Multi-Year Procurement (MYP): The Secretary highlighted that MYP authority has been instrumental in allowing industry to invest in development and providing the stability necessary to procure 4,157 MACE missiles for $1.6 billion.

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Synthesis and Conclusion

The hearing highlighted a disconnect between the administration’s messaging regarding the end of hostilities and the reality of ongoing, high-intensity defensive operations in the Strait of Hormuz. The Navy faces a dual challenge: managing the immediate financial and logistical strain of replenishing munitions while simultaneously restructuring its industrial base toward a distributed, modular shipbuilding model. Furthermore, the committee underscored that the human element—specifically the support systems for military families—is currently under significant strain, necessitating a reevaluation of the decision to reduce civilian family readiness personnel. The Navy’s path forward relies heavily on securing supplemental funding, reclaiming intellectual property rights for maintenance, and leveraging multi-year procurement to stabilize the defense industrial base.