Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress. Updated October 20, 2009

摘要

The Navy's proposed FY2010 budget requests funding for eight new Navy ships. This total includes two relatively expensive, high-capability combatant ships (a Virginia-class attack submarine and a DDG-51 class Aegis destroyer) and six relatively inexpensive ships (three Littoral Combat Ships LCSs), two TAKE-1 auxiliary dry cargo ships, and one Joint High Speed Vessel JHSV. The Navy's proposed FY2010 budget also requests procurement funding for certain Navy ships that were procured but not fully funded in prior years, and advance procurement funding for certain other Navy ships to be procured in future years. The Administration submitted its proposed FY2010 budget as a single-year budget only, without an accompanying Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP) for the period FY2010-FY2015. The Administration also did not submit a 30-year shipbuilding plan for the period FY2010-FY2039, as required by 10 USC 231. Consequently, relatively little budget-submission information is available concerning the Administration's plans for Navy ship procurement in fiscal years after FY2010. Concerns about the Navy's prospective ability to afford its long- range shipbuilding plan, combined with year-to-year changes in Navy shipbuilding plans and significant cost growth and other problems in building certain new Navy ships, have led to strong concerns among some Members about the status of Navy shipbuilding and the potential future size and capabilities of the fleet. Legislative activity regarding Navy ship force structure and shipbuilding plans includes the FY2010 defense authorization bill (H.R. 2647/S. 1390), the FY2010 Department of Defense (DOD) appropriations bill (H.R. 3326), and H.Res. 477.