Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress

CVN-78, CVN-79, and CVN-80 are the first three ships in the Navys new Gerald R. Ford CVN-78 class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers CVNs. CVN-78 was procured in FY2008 and is being funded with congressionally authorized 4-year incremental funding in FY2008-FY2011. The Navys proposed FY2011 budget estimates the ships procurement cost at 11,531.0 million i.e., about 11.5 billion in then-year dollars, and requests 1,731.3 million in procurement funding as the final increment to complete this estimated procurement cost. CVN-79 is scheduled for procurement in FY2013, and has received advance procurement funding since FY2007. The Navys proposed FY2011 budget estimates the ships procurement cost at 10,413.1 million i.e., about 10.4 billion in then-year dollars and requests 908.3 million in advance procurement funding for the ship. CVN-80 is scheduled for procurement in FY2018, with advance procurement funding scheduled to begin in FY2014. The Navys proposed FY2011 budget estimates the ships procurement cost at 13,577.0 million i.e., about 13.6 billion in then-year dollars. On April 6, 2009, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced a number of recommendations he was making for the FY2010 defense budget. One of these was to shift procurement of carriers to 5-year intervals. This recommendation effectively deferred the scheduled procurement of CVN-79 from FY2012 to FY2013, and the scheduled procurement of CVN-80 from FY2016 to FY2018. Potential oversight issues for Congress include the following Did shifting carrier procurement to 5-year intervals put carrier procurement on a more fiscally sustainable path and What is the likelihood that the estimated procurement costs of CVNs 78, 79, and 80 will increase from the estimates shown in the FY2011 budget Appendixes include the text of a Navy Report on the Effects of Shifting to Five-Year Intervals and materials from a July 16, 2009, Hearing on EMALS.