Time to take action

<DATE>

Dear <INSERT NAME>,

Our company, <COMPANY NAME>, which employs <NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES> in <CITY/STATE/REGION>, manufactures <COMPANY’S PARTS/PRODUCTS> for the U.S. Navy’s amphibious warship construction program.

To maintain a hot production line and cost-effective procurement of amphibious warships, we are requesting that you contact Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and urge his support of the proposed bundled-buy of LHA 9 and LPDs 32 and 33.

Support for the bundled-buy sends a much-needed demand signal to a highly specialized and fragile industrial base, made up of more than 750 companies in 43 states, including <COMPANY NAME>, which provides parts worth over $1.83 billion for the construction of amphibious warships. Without predictable and stable funding for the production and construction of these warships, the skilled jobs of our workers and those of the industrial shipbuilding base are at risk.

U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David H. Berger has called for a minimum of 30 amphibious warships, including a minimum of 10 LHDs/LHAs and 20 San Antonio-class LPDs (Flights I and II). The Whidbey Island/Harpers Ferry class dock landing ships (LSDs) are rapidly approaching the end of their service lives and will begin decommissioning in FY22. This will put our total number of amphibious warships below the Commandant’s requirement. We need to ensure that we meet the Combatant Commanders’ operational requirement as well as have the inventory of ships ready to help our Navy and Marine Corps team train and operate safely and effectively as they prepare for global crisis response.

Multi-ship procurement is an effective tool for driving affordability. A bundled-buy of LHA 9 and LPDs 32 and 33 not only ensures predictability/consistency in orders to the industrial base, still recovering from disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but actually provides $720 million in cost savings for the Navy, Marine Corps, DoD, and taxpayers alike.

This bundled-buy is not only cost-effective but also keeps key suppliers (many single and sole source) in business. In fact, in a survey conducted last year 92% of AWIBC suppliers said that multi-ship purchases are important to the health and future of their companies. A bundle of amphibious warships would maintain a hot production line, and allow vulnerable second- and third-tier suppliers to allocate their resources and manpower to support cost effective and fiscally efficient production of amphibious warships.

Bottom line, purchasing ships at the optimal construction rate through programs like this multi-ship procurement stabilizes the industrial base, enabling it to design and build the fleet of tomorrow—and hire and train the workforce that is critical to creating a competitive edge in U.S. Navy shipbuilding.

We look forward to your support of our business and sharing the importance of the amphibious warship bundled-buy with Secretary Austin.

Sincerely,

<YOUR NAME>
<TITLE>
<COMPANY>