Navy LPD-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
Abstract
Some Members of Congress this year have expressed interest in the option of procuring a 10th San Antonio (LPD-17) class amphibious ship in FY2009, so as to help meet the Marine Corps goal for amphibious lift capability. The Navy's proposed FY2009 budget does not request funding for a 10th LPD-17 and instead proposes ending LPD-17 procurement with the ninth ship, which was procured in FY2008. The Navy's planned 313-ship fleet calls for a 31-ship amphibious force that includes 10 LPD-17s, and the Marine Corps states that a 33-ship amphibious force that includes 11 LPD-17s would be required to fully meet the Marine Corps amphibious lift goal. Procurement of a 10th LPD-17 is the Number 2 item on the Navy's FY2009 Unfunded Requirements List (URL) and the Number 1 item on the Marine Corps FY2009 URL. Fully funding the procurement of a 10th LPD-17 in FY2009, the Navy and Marine Corps FY2009 URLs state, would cost $1,700 million. Congress, as part of its action on the FY2008 defense budget, provided $50 million in advance procurement funding for a 10th LPD-17. The Marine Corps goal for amphibious lift is to have a force of amphibious ships with enough combined lift capacity for the assault echelons (AEs) of two Marine Expeditionary Brigades (MEBs). This goal, Marine Corps officials state, reflects responsibilities assigned to Marine Corps forces in U.S. regional war plans. The Navy's FY2009 30-year (FY2009-FY2038) shipbuilding plan, if implemented, would achieve and maintain a 32- or 33-ship amphibious force including nine LPD-17s. This 32- or 33-ship force would fall short of meeting the 2.0 MEB AE lift goal in terms of square feet of storage space for wheeled vehicles.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 06, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA481170
Entities
People
- Ronald O'Rourke
Organizations
- Library of Congress