The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group transits the Pacific Ocean Jan. 25, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Isaacs)
WASHINGTON — The Navy has charted two potential pathways ahead in its new 30-year shipbuilding strategy, according to a proposal submitted to lawmakers today: one that will require more funding that the Navy says is aligned with the 2023 Battle Force Ship Assessment and Requirement (BFSAR) report, and another “resource constrained” outlook that assumes no real annual spending growth.
The twin plans, described in a Navy document first reported by Politico and obtained by Breaking Defense, are largely identical in terms of total manned battle force ships through much of the next decade, with both reaching a low of 280 ships in fiscal year 2027.
But after FY33 the two start to diverge. According to the document, the BFSAR-aligned plan would see a fleet of 330 manned ships by the mid-2030s, and 377 ships by FY45. By comparison, the budget-constrained plan wouldn’t hit 330 ships until later in the 2030s, and in FY45 would have 343 ships.
The resource-constrained alternative shipbuilding plan also falls short of the total force the Navy has told Congress it needs to support the National Defense Strategy — 381 ships, according to USNI News. The strategy says the service would briefly achieve that figure with the better-funded plan in FY42 and FY43, before dipping to again rise above the 381 target in FY52 through the strategy’s final year of FY54. All told, the better-funded plan would peak at 387 ships in FY54. Conversely, the resource-limited plan would top out at 348 ships in FY42.
The two-option strategy follows the service’s previously proposed three potential ways forward for constructing its fleet, which earned the ire of lawmakers who viewed the move as indecisive.
Both of the current plans expect on-time and on-budget industry performance, the document notes. The two also keep a total force of 31 amphibious warfare ships across the 30-year timeframe, evidently heeding complaints from lawmakers that service officials were not adhering to requirements outlined by Congress. Marine Corps leadership admitted last year that a lack of ready ships prevented the service from responding to events around the globe, such as the civil and humanitarian crises in Turkey and Sudan.
The shipbuilding strategyfurther details needs for the submarine industrial base, which some lawmakers fear is being strained by the AUKUS agreement that plans to provide nuclear subs to Australia.
The Navy will need approximately $17.5 billion in additional funds between FY24 and FY29 to furnish capacity for “sustained production levels” of one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class subs by 2028, the document says. About $3.3 billion alone is contained in the $100-plus billion supplemental still stuck on Capitol Hill, with the rest spread out in current and future budget requests.
Of the 19 ships potentially destined for decommissioning in FY25, 10 will be retired early, with the other nine consisting of six combatant ships and three attack submarines that are at or exceed their expected service lives, the document says.The service’s $203.9 billion FY25 budget request unveiled last week called for buying just six new vessels — a net negative that lawmakers are already unimpressed by.
Breaking Defense’s Valerie Insinna contributed to this report.
FAQs
The Navy's Long-Range Shipbuilding Plan sketches out two paths to get to a larger fleet – one bounded by flat budgets and a second one that seeks to build the ships the Navy needs to reach its goal of 381 ships the service says it needs to meet its obligation to the Pentagon's National Defense Strategy.
What is the Navy 30 year shipbuilding plan 2024? ›
The 2024 plan reflects the Navy's desire to build a larger and more distributed fleet. To achieve that goal, the Navy would buy 290 to 340 ships over the 2024–2053 period: 237 to 267 combat ships and 53 to 73 combat logistics and support ships (see Table 3).
What is the Navy fy25 shipbuilding plan? ›
The Navy's proposed FY2025 budget requests $32.4 billion in shipbuilding funding for, among other things, the procurement of six new ships—a figure that is one less than the seven ships that the Navy's FY2024 budget submission had projected for FY2025, and less than the long-term average of 10 or 11 new manned ships ...
What is the Navy strategy for 2024? ›
2024 Naval Science and Technology Strategy
The strategy's priorities include autonomy, naval aerospace, power and energy, undersea systems and command control communication computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, among many others.
What is the PB2025 shipbuilding plan? ›
PB2025 includes procurement of six manned ships in FY2025 and 57 manned battle force ships within the FYDP. The shipbuilding plan outside the FYDP shows the procurement of battle force ships to grow the Navy toward the BFSAR objective force levels.
How many ships does the U.S. Navy have in 2024? ›
By fiscal year 2024, the Navy is projected to have 293 total deployable ships.
What ships are being decommissioned in the Navy in 2024? ›
Next to leave service will be the Vicksburg (CG 69) in June 2024, followed by the Cowpens (CG 63) in August, Antietam (CG 54) and Leyte Gulf (CG 55) in September. Overall, the last two cruisers will likely be Chosin (CG 65) and Cape St. George (CG 71), both to be decommissioned in fiscal 2027.
What U.S. Navy ships are being built? ›
| NAME | HULL | STATUS |
|---|
| Harrisburg | LPD 30 | Under Construction |
| Harvey C. Barnum Jr. | DDG 124 | Christened Jul '23 |
| Hector A. Cafferata | ESB 8 | Under Construction |
| Helmand Province | LHA 10 | Announced |
60 more rowsThe Navy's four public shipyards -- Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY), Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS&IMF), and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY&IMF) -- perform a vital role in national defense by executing ...
What is the pb23 shipbuilding plan? ›
The PB2023 shipbuilding plan includes procurement of 9 manned ships in FY2023 and 51 manned battle force ships within the FYDP. Based on the corresponding projected funding levels in the FYDP, the battle force inventory will be 280 manned ships by FY2027.
Sustainable Operations and Environmental Leadership
The strategy highlights initiatives to restore and preserve natural habitats affected by naval operations, reduce the environmental impact of military exercises, and collaborate with global partners to enhance ecological protection efforts.
What is the new Navy plan? ›
In March 2024, as part of its FY2025 30-year (FY2025-FY2054) shipbuilding plan, the Navy released the details of this new goal, which calls for achieving and maintaining a fleet of 381 manned ships of certain types and numbers, plus 134 large unmanned surface and underwater vehicles.
What is the age limit for Navy 2024? ›
Age limits
Army: 17 - 35. Coast Guard: 17 - 41. Marine Corps: 17 - 28. Navy: 17 - 41.
What is the DDG 51 shipbuilding program? ›
The Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class destroyer program is one of the longest-running shipbuilding programs in Navy history. The Navy began procuring DDG-51s, also known as Aegis destroyers, in FY1985, and a total of 92 have been procured through FY2023, including three in FY2023.
What is the fy24 ship building plan? ›
Under the three alternatives in the Navy's 2024 plan, total shipbuilding costs would average about $34 billion to $36 billion per year (in 2023 dollars) through 2053, CBO estimates, as the Navy built a fleet of 319 to 367 battle force ships.
Why did shipbuilding decline? ›
Britain's shipbuilding industry relied on British traders buying ships that were built in Britain. The break-up of the British Empire and increasing globalisation shifted this balance, and by the 1930s British shipowners were starting to look elsewhere for their ships.
What is the outlook for ship building in 2024? ›
The ship building market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $207.15 billion in 2023 to $220.52 billion in 2024 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%.
What is the Navy fy23 shipbuilding plan? ›
The Three Alternatives in the 2023 Plan Would Expand the Fleet to Between 316 and 367 Battle Force Ships. On November 1, 2022, the Navy's fleet numbered 292 battle force ships—aircraft carriers, submarines, surface combatants, amphibious ships, combat logistics ships, and some support ships.
What is the Navy budget request for 2024? ›
The Department of the Navy's (DON) FY 2024 President's Budget (PB24) request is $255.8B, an increase of $11.1B or 4.5% from the FY 2023 enacted budget. The PB24 request reflects the nation's priorities as detailed in U.S. strategic guidance. Below is a list of links to documents with budget details.
