Testimony - 2022 Admiral Caldwell SAC-SEWD

Statement of Admiral James F. Caldwell on the FY23 Budget Request Before the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies May 18, 2022

The following major project summary was provided:

Major Projects

COLUMBIA Class Propulsion Plant The COLUMBIA Class ballistic missile submarine remains the Navy's number one acquisition priority. Naval Reactors is supporting lead ship construction and is delivering the life-of-ship reactor core and the electric drive propulsion system for the COLUMBIA Class program. The FY 2023 budget includes $53.9 million that will allow continued support for lead ship propulsion plant design and safety analysis work required for lead ship reactor testing and delivery.

S8G Prototype Refueling Overhaul The FY 2023 budget request includes $20 million toward final execution of the refueling and overhaul of the New York land-based prototype, which will enable an additional 20 years of Naval Reactors’ commitment to research, development, and initial operator training. Over the course of the past three years, the project has worked through performance and testing equipment challenges, and in April of last year met a key milestone - installation of the new reactor core. This reactor core, called the Technology Demonstration Core, includes COLUMBIA Class type fuel modules as part of testing and demonstrating the manufacturability necessary for production and delivery of the COLUMBIA Class reactor core. We continue to provide strong oversight to improve cost and schedule performance, and the project will complete in FY 2023. I look forward to providing the final update on this multi-year project in next year’s appearance before the Committee.

Spent Fuel Handling Recapitalization Project Naval Reactors is constructing the Naval Spent Fuel Handling Facility (SFHP), located at the Naval Reactors Facility in Idaho. The facility is critical to our mission to manage naval spent nuclear fuel and support aircraft carrier and submarine fleet requirements. The FY 2023 budget request includes $398 million for continuation of this project through several key milestones. Economic conditions influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the discovery of unexpected bedrock conditions beneath the facility’s foundations have presented significant challenges for us. To address these challenges, we evaluated actions necessary to ensure the overall Project milestones remain achievable, including additional resources (e.g., extended/added shifts, parallel and fast-tracking of work efforts) and additional funding to mitigate impacts to current and future construction subcontracts. Consistent with these actions, I approved a revision to the SFHP Performance Baseline in FY 2021. Funding in FY 2023 will be critical to implementing our construction sequence. I remain committed to keeping the committee informed of our progress, and actions to mitigate construction challenges, as we aggressively manage and oversee this complex and large-scale infrastructure project.