The Navy announced today that two important steps have been taken under existing law and regulations to allow it to conduct effective, integrated training with sonar off the coast of southern California after a federal court earlier this month imposed untenable restrictions on such training.
In accordance with the provisions of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), and at the recommendation of the Secretary of Commerce, the President concluded that continuing these vital exercises without the restrictions imposed by the district court is in the paramount interests of the United States. He signed an exemption from the requirements of the CZMA for the Navy’s continued use of mid-frequency active (MFA) sonar in a series of exercises scheduled to take place off the coast of California through January 2009.
Thank goodness. This follows a court victory on the same subject back in the late summer.
Submarines are the main threat to our fleet. If we can't train to find and fight them, sailors and Marines will die if it comes to a shooting war with an enemy that sends submarines to sea to battle us.
I remain horrified that some of our citizens would value the lives of our sailors and Marines so little and value so little our ultimate victory at sea should it come to war.
