Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Order Code RS20535
Updated August 4, 2004
Navy Ship Procurement Rate and the Planned
Size of the Navy: Background and Issues for
Congress
Ronald O’Rourke
Specialist in National Defense
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Summary
There is currently no officially approved, consensus plan for the future size and
structure of the Navy. The absence of such a plan could complicate Congress’ ability
to conduct oversight of the Navy’s budget and individual Navy ship-acquisition
programs. DOD is proposing to procure new Navy ships during most of its amended
FY2004-FY2009 Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP) at an average rate less than what
would be required, over the long run, to maintain a Navy of 310 or more ships over the
long run. This report will be updated as events warrant.
Background
Historical and Current Size of the Navy. The Navy reached a late-Cold War
peak of 568 battle force ships in FY1987 and has since been declining in size. The Navy
fell below 300 battle force ships in August 2003 and included 297 battle force ships as of
August 2, 2004. The Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) amended FY2004-FY2009
Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP) would reduce the Navy to 290 battle force ships by
the end of FY2005, before building back to 309 battle force ships by the end of FY2009.
Planned Size and Structure of the Navy. DOD’s 2001 Quadrennial Defense
Review (QDR) approved a plan for a Navy of about 310 battle force ships. This plan, like
the one approved in the 1997 QDR, included 12 aircraft carriers, 116 surface combatants,
55 nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs), and 36 amphibious ships organized into
12 amphibious ready groups (ARGs) with a combined capability to lift the assault
echelons of 2.5 Marine Expeditionary Brigades (MEBs). The 2001 QDR report stated
that as DOD’s “transformation effort matures — and as it produces significantly higher
output of military value from each element of the force — DOD will explore additional
opportunities to restructure and reorganize the Armed Forces.”
In February 2003, in submitting its proposed FY2004-FY2009 Future Years Defense
Plan (FYDP) to Congress, DOD announced that it had initiated studies on undersea
