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Thursday, February 16, 2012

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


Ronald O'Rourke
Specialist in Naval Affairs

CVN-78, CVN-79, and CVN-80 are the first three ships in the Navy’s new Gerald R. Ford (CVN- 78) class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs).

CVN-78 was procured in FY2008 and was funded with congressionally authorized four-year incremental funding in FY2008-FY2011. The Navy’s proposed FY2012 budget estimated the ship’s procurement cost at $11,531.0 million (i.e., about $11.5 billion) in then-year dollars.

CVN-79 is scheduled under the FY2012 budget submission to be procured in FY2013, and has received advance procurement funding since FY2007. The Navy’s proposed FY2012 budget estimated the ship’s procurement cost at $10,253.0 million (i.e., about $10.3 billion) in then-year dollars.

CVN-80 is scheduled for procurement in FY2018, with advance procurement funding scheduled to begin in FY2014. The Navy’s proposed FY2012 budget estimated the ship’s procurement cost at $13,494.9 million (i.e., about $13.5 billion) in then-year dollars.

Oversight issues for Congress for the CVN-78 program include: 

         the possibility that the Department of Defense (DOD) will propose deferring procurement of CVN-79 by two years, to FY2015; 
         the potential for cost growth on CVNs 78, 79, and 80; and 
         CVN-78 program issues that were raised in a December 2011 report from DOD’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E).

Date of Report: February
9, 2012
Number of Pages:
41
Order Number: RS20
643
Price: $29.95

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