Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress
Abstract
This report presents background information and potential oversight issues for Congress on the Navy's Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyer programs. The Navy began procuring DDG-51s, also known as Aegis destroyers, in FY1985, and a total of 87 have been procured through FY2021, including two in FY2021. The Navy procured three DDG-1000 class destroyers in FY2007-FY2009 and plans no further procurement of DDG-1000s. The Navy's proposed FY2022 budget requests the procurement of one DDG-51 in FY2022, rather than the two DDG-51s that are called for in FY2022 under the FY2018-FY2022 DDG-51 multiyear procurement (MYP) contract, and that were projected for FY2022 under the Navy's FY2021 budget submission. Procuring a second DDG-51 in FY2022 is the number one item on the Navys FY2022 Unfunded Priorities List (UPL) - the service's list of programs it would prefer to be funded in FY2022, if additional funding were to become available. A key issue for Congress for the DDG-51 program in FY2022 is whether to fund the procurement of one DDG51, two DDG-51s, or some other number of DDG-51s (such as zero or three). Other issues for Congress concern the Navy's future force-level goal for large surface combatants (or LSCs, meaning cruisers and destroyers) and how the Navy proposes to transition several years from now from procurement of DDG-51s to procurement of a successor destroyer design now in development called the DDG(X). Decisions that Congress makes on these issues could substantially affect Navy capabilities and funding requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 02, 2022
- Accession Number
- AD1164099
Entities
People
- Ronald O'rouke
Organizations
- Congressional Research Service