148 



I have one question I'd like to begin with while Mr. Rohrabacher 

 is returning. As I mentioned in my opening comments, I've submit- 

 ted for the record both letters from Al Gore and from Trent Lott 

 from the Senate, both of whom are aware of these hearings, the se- 

 ries of hearings, as well as this hearing today, and have expressed 

 their support for the initiative that we're undertaking. 



Senator Lott had a specific question in his letter to me, dated 

 January 11th, which I'd just like to raise and either have a re- 

 sponse now or a response for the record. 



In his letter, and I'll refer to it, it says, and I quote: "With your 

 hearing being focused on leveraging national oceanographic capa- 

 bilities and meeting requirements in nontraditional ways, it would 

 be interesting for you to query the panel to see if the Navy can 

 partner with the university research ship fleet to help reduce its 

 survey backlog of 240 ship-years. This approach would help expand 

 partnerships and synergy among the nation's oceanography com- 

 munity and provide much needed money to expand ocean science 

 research." 



This question comes out of a report that Senator Lott had com- 

 missioned in last year's defense authorization bill which was sub- 

 mitted to the Secretary of the Navy and prepared by the oceanog- 

 rapher of the Navy. 



So perhaps Admiral Boorda or anyone else, Dr. Lane, or whoever 

 else would like to respond to this question of Senator Lott, I'd ap- 

 preciate it. 



[Letters from Vice President Al Gore and Senator Trent Lott ap- 

 pear in Appendix II, pages 199 and 200 respectively.] 



Admiral BooRDA. I'd be happy to respond. 



We've had some discussions with the Senator. He and I have ex- 

 changed some correspondence on that. 



The 240 ship-years of work is a valid statement. It is one of the 

 reasons that in our CNO executive board, I decided to keep more 

 ships. 



I'm going to ask Paul or perhaps George if they'd like to go fur- 

 ther on how we might best reduce that backlog faster. Clearly, 

 that's our aim. 



In many of the places, however — let me caveat it before he 

 speaks — in many of the places, only ships that are under our con- 

 trol can go in the area under current international law. 



Admiral Gaffney. Mr. Chairman, we have right now a plan to 

 field by the end of next fiscal year eight ships permanently de- 

 ployed overseas that can virtually get into any area that we want. 



And as the CNO just mentioned, a normal research ship, a ma- 

 rine scientific research ship, can't necessarily go every place we 

 can. 



So I think we're pretty set for the future in that we have fewer 

 ships, but they're great ships. They're probably the greatest ships 

 built today. 



We would look for opportunities, I think if we have a little extra 

 cash now and then to use and buy time from academic ships. 

 That's something that I will always ask for in the Navy and we'll 

 see what we can afford. 



But those opportunities exist and we'll watch for them. Thank 

 you. 



