The following readout was provided by Department of Defense Spokesman Eric Pahon:
Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr. Kathleen Hicks visited Rhode Island and Connecticut on November 9 to deepen department relationships with lawmakers, meet with defense industrial base partners, and discuss Department priorities to address future warfighting needs.
In Rhode Island, Dr. Hicks met with lawmakers at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center and attended briefings on the center’s collaboration with academia for research and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) development.
The Deputy Secretary also toured General Dynamics Electric Boat facilities to learn more about the manufacturing process which supports the US Columbia and Virginia Class submarine fleets. Submarines are and will continue to be a key part of the National Defense Strategy.
In Connecticut, the Deputy Secretary met with lawmakers and toured the Undersea Warfighting Development Center (UWDC) to learn more about the school’s advanced training for Navy submariners. Dr. Hicks also viewed climate resiliency projects at Naval Submarine Base New London (SUBASE), to include a microgrid project designed to operate independently from civilian power grids during emergency situations.