Navy: Year-Long CR Would Lead to $500M Shortfall for Columbia-class Submarine

Artist’s rendering of the Columbia-class SSBN submarine. US Navy Image

The Navy is facing a $500 million shortfall for its Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program if the government is forced to operate under a year-long continuing resolution, a service official told reporters on Tuesday.

The service’s fiscal management director on the chief of naval operations (N82) staff today forecasted a list of ramifications for the Navy – ranging from decreased aircraft and weapons procurement to...

https://news.usni.org/2022/01/25/navy-year-long-cr-would-lead-to-500m-shortfall-for-columbia-class-submarine

CNO Warns Columbia-class Sub Would Miss Delivery Under a Year-Long Continuing Resolution

Artist’s rendering of the Columbia-class SSBN submarine. US Navy Image

A year-long continuing resolution would force the Navy to miss deadlines on delivering the first Columbia class ballistic missile submarine, the service’s top officer told House appropriators Wednesday.

In prepared testimony on Columbia, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told the panel that “since the shipbuilding account is uniquely line-item appropriated, the CR provides insufficient funding for SSBN-826, our first...

https://news.usni.org/2022/01/12/cno-warns-columbia-class-sub-would-miss-delivery-under-a-year-long-continuing-resolution

Navy Approaching ‘Weak’ Rating in New U.S. Military Strength Survey

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) transits the South China Sea with Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Tulsa (LCS-16) on Sept. 7, 2021. US Navy Photo

The Navy’s ability to defend the nation’s vital security interests is “marginal,” – with the caveat that its score is trending to “weak” in capability and readiness – while the Marine Corps’ ability is graded as “strong,” according to a think tank’s latest survey of United States military power.

The Heritage...

https://news.usni.org/2021/10/21/navy-approaching-weak-rating-in-new-u-s-military-strength-survey

Pentagon, Navy Conducting Parallel Fleet Studies Ahead of Next National Defense Strategy

Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125) launching at Ingalls Shipbuilding on June 5, 2021. HII Photo

The Navy and the Pentagon are crunching numbers on two separate sets of studies that will map out the size of the service’s future fleet as defense budgets are set to stay static for the foreseeable future, officials familiar with the studies told USNI News.

The Navy is performing its own assessment of the fleet architecture needed to counter future threats past the...

https://news.usni.org/2021/09/21/pentagon-navy-conducting-parallel-fleet-studies-ahead-of-next-national-defense-strategy

SECNAV Del Toro Tells Industry to Hold Down Costs, Resist Requirements Creep

Attack boat Vermont (SSN-792) float-off on March 29, 2019. General Dynamics Electric Boats Photo

The Navy needs to resist “requirements creep” in changing designs to complete its number one strategic priority, the Columbia class ballistic missile submarine program (SSBN-826), Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said on Monday at a virtual conference hosted by the Southeastern New England Defense Industrial Alliance.

Del Toro stressed that the defense industry needs to be equally observant in holding...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/30/secnav-del-toro-tells-industry-to-hold-down-costs-resist-requirements-creep

Pentagon Reissues FY 22 Shipbuilding Totals to Congress In Lieu of 30-Year Plan   

USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118) at Bath Iron Works

The Pentagon submitted an abbreviated long-range shipbuilding report to Congress that does not show construction past the Fiscal Year 2022 budget request, according to the document reviewed by USNI News on Thursday.

Instead, the Navy issued a summary of the eight-ship FY 2022 shipbuilding request, with a promise for the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the service to further refine the needs of the Navy for a complete outlook as part of the...

https://news.usni.org/2021/06/17/pentagon-reissues-fy-22-shipbuilding-totals-to-congress-in-lieu-of-30-year-plan

Cost Estimates for Lead Boat in Columbia-class Program Grow by $637M

Artist’s rendering of the Columbia-class SSBN submarine. US Navy Image

The Navy’s cost estimate for the lead ship in its new ballistic-missile submarine program grew by $637 million over the last year, according to the service’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget submission.

The estimated price for the future USS Columbia (SSBN-826), the lead ship in the class of 12 ballistic-missile submarines, is now $15.03 billion, compared to a $14.39 billion estimate in the FY 2021 submission, according to budget...

https://news.usni.org/2021/06/07/cost-estimates-for-lead-boat-in-columbia-class-program-grow-by-637m

Destroyer, Navy Tactical Grid Systems Top $5.5B FY 22 Navy Unfunded List

Ingalls Shipbuilding in May 2019. HII Photo

A second destroyer and funding for the Navy’s emerging tactical grid are on top of the Navy’s unfunded wish list to Congress, according to a copy of the report reviewed by USNI News on Tuesday.

Following Friday’s rollout of a modest $22.6 billion, eight ship shipbuilding plan that set aside funds for a single Arleigh Burke destroyer, the Navy wants an additional $1.66 billion for a second DDG.

“Funding a second ship in FY22 supports completing a...

https://news.usni.org/2021/06/01/destroyer-navy-tactical-grid-systems-top-5-5b-fy-22-navy-unfunded-list

Pentagon Conducting ‘Relook’ of FY-22 Budget; Directive Targets Shipbuilding

In this aerial photograph, the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) sits at Pier 3 at Newport News Shipbuilding division. The ship is approximately 76 percent complete and is progressing through final outfitting and testing. Huntington Ingalls Industries photo.

The Pentagon is performing a “budget relook” of the Trump administration’s Fiscal Year 2022 proposal, with Navy shipbuilding topping the list of items for reassessment, USNI News has learned.

The directive, issued on Feb. 17, calls...

https://news.usni.org/2021/02/24/pentagon-conducting-relook-of-fy-22-budget-directive-targets-shipbuilding

Navy, Lawmaker Split Over Timeline to Renovate Public Repair Yards

Terrance Wells, from San Diego, ties straps for a containment project on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) on Oct. 26, 2020. US Navy Photo

The Navy faces a conundrum in renovating its centuries-old public shipyards.

On one hand, the sooner the yards are redesigned with more efficient layouts and overhauled to have the latest tools and machines, the sooner yard employees can start repairing submarines and aircraft carriers at a faster pace and dig...

https://news.usni.org/2021/02/15/navy-lawmaker-split-over-timeline-to-renovate-public-repair-yards