Navy CVN-21 Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress
Abstract
Current Administration plans call for procuring the Navy's next aircraft carrier, called CVN-21, in FY2007. The Navy in early 2004 estimated that CVN-21 would cost a total of about $3.1 billion develop and $8.6 billion to procure, for a total acquisition cost of about $11.7 billion. Advance procurement "down payments" on this ship have been approved by Congress each year since FY2001. On August 19, 2004, the Department of Defense (DOD) reported that the estimated development cost for a 3-ship carrier program (CVN-21 plus two sister ships to be procured years after CVN-21) had increased by $728 million, to $4.33 billion. DOD now estimates that the program would have a total acquisition cost of about $36.1 billion ($4.33 billion for development and $31.75 billion for procurement), or an average of about $12 billion per ship. If much of the $728-million increase in the estimated development cost is for the CVN-21 itself then CVN-21`s estimated acquisition cost may now be more than $12 billion. In mid-August 2004, it was reported that the Navy's draft FY2006-FY2011 shipbuilding plan would delay procurement of CVN-21 by one year, to FY2008. Based on past data for carrier construction programs, such a delay might increase the procurement cost of the ship by a few or several hundred million dollars, which could increase its total acquisition cost to well over $12 billion, and possibly something closer to $13 billion. This report will be updated as events warrant.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 20, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA472563
Entities
People
- Ronald O'Rourke
Organizations
- Library of Congress