SENEDIA's Strategic Planning Process is designed to address these key issues.
SENEDIA views the following as the top issues facing our National Security Support Industry today.
1. Decreasing Federal budgets, particularly those directed at Navy Research and Development and Science and Technology are of major concern and are very important to the industrial base in RI.
2. Post-BRAC False Security. Even though RI did comparatively well in the BRAC compared to other states, we are concerned that, in the post-BRAC world, the leaders in RI have relaxed into a false sense of security that we are immune to further cutbacks. Decreasing budgets, even without a BRAC, could cause the Defense Department to implement organizational, functional and infrastructure changes that could divert Defense dollars out of RI. Protecting the roles and missions of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and the retention of Naval leadership positions resident there, is important to our economic health.
3. Submarine Development and ASW. A robust submarine building program is a keystone for the Defense industry in RI. Aside from the manufacturing at Quonset Point, much second and third order submarine support work is a result of the needs of the submarine force. A lower number of submarines means less support work for the Fleet units, which correlates directly to reduced undersea warfare work in RI. We are also concerned that a lack of attention to anti-submarine warfare has further exacerbated the problem.
4. Deversion of Funds for War Effort. There has been some recent press that indicates if Congress does not pass supplemental funding for the GWOT effort. This is a major concern for the Defense industry that supports elements other than GWOT war-related efforts.