Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress

Abstract

In February 2006, the Navy proposed a future ship force structure of 313 ships, including, among other things, 14 ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), 11 (and eventually 12) aircraft carriers, 48 attack submarines (SSNs), 88 cruisers and destroyers, 55 Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs), 31 amphibious ships, and a Maritime Prepositioning Force (Future), or MPF(F), squadron with 12 new-construction amphibious and sealift-type ships. In February 2007, the Navy reiterated this proposed 313-ship force structure and submitted a six-year (FY2008-FY2013) shipbuilding plan and a 30-year (FY2008-FY2037) shipbuilding plan. The final report on the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review supported a fleet of more than 281 ships, including 11 carriers, but did not explicitly endorse a 313-ship fleet including the numbers that the Navy has outlined for other types of ships. Regarding the 313-ship proposal, some observers have questioned the Navy s planned figures for amphibious ships and SSNs, and have suggested that a fleet with 33 amphibious ships and more than 48 SSNs would be more appropriate. The Navy s 30-year shipbuilding plan does not include enough ships to fully support all elements of the 313-ship fleet consistently over the long run. Deficiencies in the 30-year shipbuilding plan relative to the 313-ship fleet include 1 amphibious ship, 4 cruise missile submarines (SSGNs), 8 SSNs, and about 10 cruisers and destroyers. The Navy says that for its shipbuilding plans to be affordable and executable, the Navy needs to be funded at a certain overall level, control certain nonshipbuilding expenditures, and build ships within estimated costs. Some observers have questioned whether these things will come to pass. With regard to the last of these items, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the Navy s shipbuilding program will cost about 35% more than the Navy estimates.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 14, 2007
Accession Number
ADA472109

Entities

People

  • Ronald O'Rourke

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircraft Carriers
  • Amphibious Ships
  • Attack Submarines
  • Ballistic Missile Submarines
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Boats
  • Computer Network Security
  • Engineering
  • Force Structure
  • Governments
  • Littoral Combat Ships
  • National Security
  • Naval Operations
  • Naval Vessels
  • Naval Warfare
  • Navy
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Life Cycle Cost Analysis
  • Maritime and Naval Warfare Studies
  • Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.