WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement in response to press reports that the Navy’s fleet oiler USNS Big Horn was damaged off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea:

“I am troubled about reports that the Navy’s sole fleet oiler in the CENTCOM region has been rendered temporarily inoperable. If we cannot fuel our ships, our capabilities will be greatly diminished,” Senator Wicker. “The Big Horn’s problems also speak to a larger challenge – we are woefully in need of a larger logistics fleet, which is the lifeline for our global military presence. I hope this incident serves as a wake-up call that it is high time to fix our shipbuilding industrial base and support our merchant mariners.”

Senator Wicker posed the following questions to the Department of Defense:

1. Where did the Big Horn take damage?
2. What is the initial damage assessment for the Big Horn?
3. What was the cause of the damage (weather, navigator error, etc.)?
4. Can the Big Horn operate under its own power?
5. What is the estimated time required for the repair of the vessel?
6. Is there another vessel able to fill the capability gap? If so, when will it be in the area?
7. Does the administration support additional executable funding for fleet oilers in the FY25 appropriations process?

Senator Wicker noted the following facts related to shortfalls in the U.S. Navy’s logistics fleet:

• Senator Wicker’s recent “21^st Century Peace Through Strength” report calls for adding funds for an additional T-AO fleet oiler, as well as investments into modular CONSOL adapter kits and related equipment to allow commercial ships to replenish Navy vessels.
• Senator Wicker’s budget amendment that passed through the Senate Armed Services Committee markup of the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act included $398 million for fleet oiler advance procurement.