Navy Ship Acquisition: Options for Lower-Cost Ship Designs - Issues for Congress

Abstract

Rising procurement costs for Navy ships are a matter of concern for both Navy officials and Members of Congress who track Navy-related issues. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that executing the 30-year shipbuilding plan that the Navy submitted to Congress in early 2006 may require annual funding levels about 33% higher than the Navy plans, and about 76% more than the Navy has received on average in recent years. The issue for Congress is how to respond to rising Navy ship procurement costs. Aside from reducing planned ship procurement rates, one option would be to reduce Navy ship procurement costs by shifting from currently planned designs to designs with lower unit procurement costs. Lower-cost ship designs have been proposed in recent reports by the CBO, Department of Defenses Office of Force Transformation (OFT), and the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA). Options for lower-cost submarines include a non-nuclear-powered submarine and a reduced-cost SSN design using new technologies now being developed. Options for lower-cost aircraft carriers include a medium-sized, conventionally powered carrier and a small, high-speed carrier. Options for lower-cost major surface combatants include a new-design 11,000-ton cruiser-destroyer, a 6,000-ton frigate (FFG(X)), or a lower-cost gunfire support ship. Options for a lower-cost smaller surface combatant include a 1,000- or 100-ton surface ship. FY2007 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5122/P.L. 109-364). Section 121 of P.L. 109-364 (conference report H.Rept. 109-702 of September 29, 2006) authorizes 4-year incremental funding for the CVN-21 class aircraft carriers CVN-78, CVN-79, and CVN-80. Section 122 establishes unit procurement cost caps for CVN-21 class aircraft carriers. Section 123 increases a previously legislated procurement cost cap for the CVN-77 aircraft carrier. Section 125 establishes a unit procurement cost cap for LHA(R) amphibious assault ships.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 11, 2006
Accession Number
AD1172064

Entities

People

  • Ronald O'Rourke

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircraft Carriers
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircraft Industry
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Attack Submarines
  • Boats
  • Congress
  • Flight Decks
  • Naval Operations
  • Navy
  • Nuclear Powered Ships
  • Nuclear Powered Submarines
  • Nuclear Propulsion
  • Short Takeoff Aircraft
  • Tilt Rotor Aircraft
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Virginia Class

Readers

  • Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting