The following is the Fiscal Year 2019 U.S. Navy 30-year shipbuilding plan, released by the service on Feb. 12, 2018.
From the Report:
The National Defense Strategy (NDS) articulates how the United States military will compete, deter and win with a more lethal, resilient, and rapidly innovating Joint Force in an increasingly complex security environment. This environment is defined by rapid technological change, challenges from adversaries in every operating domain, and the impact on readiness from the longest continuous stretch of armed conflict in our Nation’s history. The Navy’s overarching plan in support of the NDS is referred to as the Navy the Nation Needs (NNN). The six pillars of the NNN are Readiness, Capability, Capacity, Manning, Networks, and Operating Concepts. These six pillars must remain balanced and scalable in order to field the needed credible naval power, guarding against over-investment in one area that might disadvantage another. This disciplined approach ensures force structure growth accounts for commensurate, properly phased investments across all six pillars – a balanced warfighting investment strategy to fund the total ownership cost of the Navy (manning, support, training, infrastructure, etc.).
Within this context, this shipbuilding plan defines the framework for working together with Congress to attain the 355 ship NNN warfighting requirement per the 2018 NDAA. There are three prioritized elements of the shipbuilding plan that the Navy will pursue to grow the force.
(1) Steady, Sustainable Growth (SG). Establish minimum baseline acquisition profiles that grow the force at a sustainable, affordable rate while protecting the overall balanced warfighting investment strategy. Of particular importance is the sustainment of the industrial base at a level that supports affordable acquisition, predictable and efficient maintenance and modernization, and an appropriately sized workforce for more aggressive growth if additional resources become available. Steady profiles ensure there is enduring focus on the long-view.
(2) Aggressive Growth (AG). More quickly attains the same warfighting requirement as available industrial capacity and increased resources permit, building upon the foundation of steady growth without threatening the long-term competitive posture of a balanced warfighting investment plan. This is the demarcation between a profile that must be sustained (steady growth) and a profile that can be attained (aggressive growth). Navy will proactively invest above the baseline steady profiles if also able to remain balanced across the NNN pillars.
(3) Service Life Extensions (SLE). SLEs provide near-term opportunities to sustain inventory to more rapidly achieve NNN requirements. Because SLEs are relatively short-term extensions, they are carefully balanced with the steady long-term growth profiles discussed above to ensure overall higher numbers when SLEs expire. Candidate ships are evaluated for restoration, their ability to be upgraded with current systems, anticipated additional life, and cost vs. replacement (or other higher priority investments). Reactivation of retired Battle Force ships to sustain the force is also considered under this priority; however, due to their poor condition they typically provide a limited return on investment.
