NEPTUNE Act

The NEPTUNE Act would authorize the Secretary of the Navy to contract for up to two new submarine cable laying and repair ships and related equipment, creating redundancy and capacity to protect undersea telecommunications infrastructure. It also sets fiscal guardrails on such contracts (payments are only as appropriated and termination liability cannot exceed funds already obligated). Additionally, the bill bars retiring the current Navy cable ship USNS Zeus until a replacement ship with equal or greater capability is fully operational. The replacement must be an in-Navy USNS-designated vessel, not a commercially leased one. In short, the bill aims to modernize and harden the Navy’s ability to deploy and maintain submarine cables, while ensuring budget discipline and continuity of capability during any transition.