Sailors watch as the portside anchor of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) is lowered into a dry dock for maintenance on March 15, 2019. US Navy Photo
For three years in a row, the Navy has requested $40 billion annually to build, operate and sustain its ships, but the service has put insufficient thought into how early decisions could reduce those sustainment costs in the future, according to a Government Accountability Office new report.
USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) during construction at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. BIW photo
Two senior lawmakers said they don’t have enough information to evaluate the Trump administration’s “hard rudder turn” on its shipbuilding budget that was presented last month to Congress. Read More
This post has been updated to include an additional comment by Naval Sea Systems Command.
The Navy’s second frigate will cost $1.1 billion to build, an increase over previous estimates as the shipbuilding program is being slowed down amid budget constraints and cuts to overall ship procurement plans. Read More
Tripoli (LHA-7) is launched at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. on March 1, 2017. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to include information from a Feb. 10 budget briefing with Rear Adm. Randy Crites, the deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget.
The proposed Navy shipbuilding plan that cuts a Virginia-class submarine, a frigate and an oiler that were previously planned for FY 2021 received immediate bipartisan pushback from the House and the Senate. Read More
Italian FREMM. Fincantierei Marine Group Image
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the contest to build the Navy’s new class of guided-missile frigates, bidders are counting on power generation as the difference-maker as the service nears awarding a contract. Read More
The following is the Dec. 16, 2019 Congressional Research Service report, Navy Frigate (FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress. Read More
USS Chancellorsville (CG-62), left, is underway alongside the Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) during a fueling-at-sea. Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region on June 30, 2019. US Navy Photo
Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly has made a bold call: the Navy should reach a fleet of 355 ships – both manned and unmanned – within a decade. Read More
The following is the Oct. 10, 2019 Congressional Research Service report, Navy Frigate (FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress. Read More
The Sea Hunter, a Medium Displacement Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MDUSV). US Navy Photo
WASHINGTON NAVY YARD – The Navy has a more straightforward path to developing and fielding unmanned surface vessels than many critics realize, according to the admiral in charge of building them. Read More
The following is the Aug. 9, 2019 Government Accountability Office report, Guided Missile Frigate: Navy Has Taken Steps to Reduce Acquisition Risk, but Opportunities Exist to Improve Knowledge for Decision Makers. Read More
