On April 10, 2013 the American Shipbuilding Suppliers Association (ASSA) hosted a roundtable discussion between 35 representatives from member companies; the Honorable Sean Stackley, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development & acquisition (ASN RD&A); and Elliott Branch, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for acquisition and procurement (DASN AP). Member companies raised concerns related to timely issues such as FY13 and FY14 budgets, foreign competition, contracting timeliness, military standard enforcement, Navy investments in research and development, and frequency of quality audits. Secretary Stackley emphasized the importance of performance, affordability, and the industrial base. There was insightful dialogue on both sides and follow-on actions items were established for both the Navy and industry. Secretary Stackley closed the meeting by noting the importance for communicating with suppliers to raise the Navy’s sensitivity to specific critical issues This members-only meeting was collocated (but unaffiliated) with the United States Navy League Sea Air Space Expo 2013 at the Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor, Maryland.
