Navy Aircraft Carriers Costeffectiveness Of Conventionally And Nuclearpowered Carriers Report To Congressional Requesters

Life-cycle costs of conventionally powered and nuclear-powered carriers, and (3) identified implications of an all nuclear carrier force on overseas homeporting in Japan and overseas presence in the Pacific region.

NSIAD-98-1 Navy Aircraft Carriers: Cost-Effectiveness of Conventionally and Nuclear-Powered Carriers

This report addresses the issues surrounding the controversy over nuclear versus conventional power in major strike force surface combatant ships. The report discusses various cost and effectiveness factors involved and identifies the key issues for congressional attention.

Contents: (1) Intro. and Issue for Congress; (2) Background: Nuclear and Conventional Power for Ships; Nuclear Power for a Surface Combatant; Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program; Current Navy Nuclear-Powered Ships; CG(X) Cruiser Program; Reactor Plant for a Nuclear-Powered CG(X); Construction Shipyards; Nuclear-Capable Shipyards; Surface Combatant Shipyards; 2006 Navy Alternative Propulsion Study; (3) Potential Issues for Congress: Cost; Development and Design Cost; Procurement Cost; Operational Effectiveness; Ship Construction; Shipyards; Nuclear-Propulsion Component Manufacturers; Environmental Impact; (4) Potential Options for Congress; (5) Legislative Activity for FY 2010. Charts and tables.

The Navy's FY2007 budget proposes retiring the conventionally powered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and reducing the size of the carrier force from 12 ships to 11. The Navy's proposed FY2006 budget included a similar proposal. Congress, in acting on the FY2006 defense budget, passed a provision requiring the Navy to maintain a 12-ship carrier force. The issue for Congress for FY2007, as it was for FY2006, is whether to approve, reject, or modify the proposal to retire the Kennedy and reduce the carrier force to 11 ships. Until mid-2005, the Kennedy was homeported in Mayport, FL. Prior to the proposal to retire the Kennedy, the Navy's plan was to maintain a 12-carrier force and keep the Kennedy in operation until 2018. The Navy is now proposing to maintain in coming years a 313-ship fleet that includes 11 carriers. DOD estimated in December 2004 that retiring the Kennedy in FY2006 would reduce DOD funding requirements for FY2006-FY2011 by a net total of about $1.2 billion. In February 2006, the Navy estimated that overhauling the Kennedy and keeping it in service during the five-year period FY2007-FY2011 would cost more than $2 billion. One potential issue is whether the carrier force ...