WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today commented on the ongoing combined China-Russia naval exercises near Alaska:

“The scale and complexity of this Russian and Chinese naval deployment is unprecedented,” Wicker said. “While I am glad the U.S. Navy deployed four destroyers and a P-8 aircraft to monitor the fleet, the exercise serves as a stark signal that generational investments in U.S. shipbuilding and ship maintenance to maintain deterrence are more necessary than ever.

“President Biden has a near-term opportunity to send a signal to both Beijing and Moscow by including funding to implement the AUKUS deal fully in his upcoming supplemental request. I look forward to seeing a comprehensive plan to improve America’s ability to manufacture and maintain our most important conventional capability, the Virginia-class submarine.”

Read more about Wicker’s position on improving the AUKUS agreement in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed here. Read key reactions to Wicker’s position here, here, and here.