Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships:
Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
Ronald O'Rourke
Specialist in Naval Affairs
March 29, 2010
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
RL33946
CRS Report for Congress
P
repared for Members and Committees of Congress
Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
Summary
All of the Navy’s aircraft carriers, but none of its other surface ships, are nuclear-powered. Some
Members of Congress, particularly on the House Armed Services Committee, have expressed
interest in expanding the use of nuclear power to a wider array of Navy surface ships, starting
with the CG(X), a planned new cruiser that the Navy had wanted to start procuring around
FY2017. Section 1012 of the FY2008 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4986/P.L. 110-181 of
January 28, 2008) makes it U.S. policy to construct the major combatant ships of the Navy,
including ships like the CG(X), with integrated nuclear power systems, unless the Secretary of
Defense submits a notification to Congress that the inclusion of an integrated nuclear power
system in a given class of ship is not in the national interest.
The Navy studied nuclear power as a design option for the CG(X), but did not announce whether
it would prefer to build the CG(X) as a nuclear-powered ship. The Navy’s FY2011 budget
proposes canceling the CG(X) program and instead building an improved version of the
conventionally powered Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class Aegis destroyer. The cancellation of the
CG(X) program would appear to leave no near-term shipbuilding program opportunities for
expanding the application of nuclear power to Navy surface ships other than aircraft carriers.
A 2006 Navy study on the potential for applying nuclear-power to Navy surface ships other than
aircraft carriers concluded the following, among other things:
• In constant FY2007 dollars, building a Navy surface combatant or amphibious
ship with nuclear power rather than conventional power would add roughly $600
million to $800 million to its procurement cost.
• The total life-cycle cost of a nuclear-powered medium-size surface combatant
would equal that of a conventionally powered medium-size surface combatant if
the cost of crude oil averages $70 per barrel to $225 per barrel over the life of the
ship.
• Nuclear-power should be considered for near-term applications for medium-size
surface combatants.
• Compared to conventionally powered ships, nuclear-powered ships have
advantages in terms of both time needed to surge to a distant theater of operation
for a contingency, and in terms of operational presence (time on station) in the
theater of operation.
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Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1
Background ................................................................................................................................ 1
Nuclear and Conventional Power for Ships ........................................................................... 1
Nuclear and Conventional Power in Brief........................................................................ 1
Nuclear Power for a Surface Combatant .......................................................................... 2
U.S. Navy Nuclear-Powered Ships ........................................................................................ 3
Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program ................................................................................. 3
Current Navy Nuclear-Powered Ships ............................................................................. 4
Earlier Navy Nuclear-Powered Cruisers .......................................................................... 4
Initial Fuel Core Included in Procurement Cost ............................................................... 5
Section 1012 of FY2008 Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 110-181)................................. 5
CG(X) Cruiser Program ........................................................................................................ 6
The Program in General .................................................................................................. 6
Reactor Plant for a Nuclear-Powered CG(X) ................................................................... 6
Proposed Cancellation of Program .................................................................................. 7
Construction Shipyards ......................................................................................................... 7
Nuclear-Capable Shipyards ............................................................................................. 7
Surface Combatant Shipyards.......................................................................................... 8
Recent Navy Studies for Congress......................................................................................... 8
2005 Naval Reactors Quick Look Analysis...................................................................... 8
2006 Navy Alternative Propulsion Study ......................................................................... 9
Potential Issues for Congress..................................................................................................... 10
No Apparent Near-Term Shipbuilding Program Opportunities ............................................. 10
Assessing Whether Any Future Ship Classes Should Be Nuclear Powered........................... 10
Cost .............................................................................................................................. 10
Operational Effectiveness.............................................................................................. 13
Ship Construction ......................................................................................................... 14
Ship Maintenance and Repair ........................................................................................ 17
Crew Training ............................................................................................................... 17
Port Calls and Forward Homeporting ............................................................................ 17
Environmental Impact ................................................................................................... 18
Prior-Year Legislative Activity .................................................................................................. 18
FY2010 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647/P.L. 111-84) ............................................... 18
House ........................................................................................................................... 18
Senate ........................................................................................................................... 20
Conference.................................................................................................................... 20
FY2009 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5658/P.L. 110-417) ............................................. 21
House ........................................................................................................................... 21
Senate ........................................................................................................................... 22
Compromise ................................................................................................................. 23
FY2008 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4986/P.L. 110-181) ............................................. 23
House ........................................................................................................................... 23
Senate ........................................................................................................................... 25
Conference.................................................................................................................... 25
FY2006 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1815/P.L. 109-163) ............................................. 27
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Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
Tables
Table 1. Unrefueled Cruising Ranges and Transit Distances......................................................... 2
Table 2. Earlier Navy Nuclear-Powered Cruisers ......................................................................... 5
Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 28
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Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
Introduction
All of the Navy’s aircraft carriers, but none of its other surface ships, are nuclear-powered. Some
Members of Congress, particularly on the House Armed Services Committee, have expressed
interest in expanding the use of nuclear power to a wider array of Navy surface ships, starting
with the CG(X), a planned new cruiser that the Navy had wanted to start procuring around
FY2017. Section 1012 of the FY2008 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4986/P.L. 110-181 of
January 28, 2008) makes it U.S. policy to construct the major combatant ships of the Navy,
including ships like the CG(X), with integrated nuclear power systems, unless the Secretary of
Defense submits a notification to Congress that the inclusion of an integrated nuclear power
system in a given class of ship is not in the national interest.
The Navy studied nuclear power as a design option for the CG(X), but did not announce whether
it would prefer to build the CG(X) as a nuclear-powered ship. The Navy’s FY2011 budget
proposes canceling the CG(X) program and instead building an improved version of the
conventionally powered Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class Aegis destroyer.1 The cancellation of the
CG(X) program would appear to leave no near-term shipbuilding program opportunities for
expanding the application of nuclear power to Navy surface ships other than aircraft carriers.
Background
Nuclear and Conventional Power for Ships
Nuclear and Conventional Power in Brief
Most military ships and large commercial ships are conventionally powered, meaning that they
burn a petroleum-based fuel, such as marine diesel, to generate power for propulsion and for
operating shipboard equipment. Conventionally powered ships are sometimes called fossil fuel
ships.
Some military ships are nuclear-powered, meaning that they use an on-board nuclear reactor to
generate power for propulsion and shipboard equipment.2 Nuclear-powered military ships are
1 For more on the CG(X) program and its proposed cancellation, see CRS Report RL34179, Navy CG(X) Cruiser
Program: Background for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke; and CRS Report RL32109, Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000
Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.
2 U.S. Navy nuclear-powered ships use pressurized water reactors (PWRs) that are fueled with highly enriched
uranium. In a PWR, water flowing through the reactor is heated by the nuclear fuel to a high temperature. The water is
pressurized (maintained at a high pressure) so that it does not boil as it heats up. A heat exchanger is then used to
transfer heat from the radioactive pressurized water to a separate circuit of non-radioactive water. As the non-
radioactive water heats up, it turns into steam that is used to power turbines that drive the ship’s propellers and generate
power for shipboard equipment.
A small number of non-military ships have been built with nuclear power in recent decades, including the U.S.-built
commercial cargo ship NS Savannah, three other commercial cargo ships built in Germany, Japan, and the Soviet
Union, and several Soviet/Russian-built nuclear-powered icebreakers. The four cargo ships are no longer in service.
More recently, the Center for the Commercial Deployment of Transportation Technologies (CCDoTT) of California
State University, Long Beach, has examined the potential cost-effectiveness of building a new generation of nuclear-
powered commercial cargo ships.
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operated today by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and India. Some
other countries have expressed interest in, or conducted research and development work on,
nuclear-powered military ships. A military ship’s use of nuclear power is not an indication of
whether it carries nuclear weapons—a nuclear-powered military ship can lack nuclear weapons,
and a conventionally powered military ship can be armed with nuclear weapons.
Nuclear Power for a Surface Combatant
For a surface combatant like a cruiser, using nuclear power rather than conventional power
eliminates the need for the ship to periodically refuel during extended operations at sea. Refueling
a ship during a long-distance transit can reduce its average transit speed. Refueling a ship that is
located in a theater of operations can temporarily reduce its ability to perform its missions. A
nuclear-powered surface combatant can steam at sustained high speeds to a distant theater of
operations, commence operations in the theater immediately upon arrival, and continue operating
in the theater over time, all without a need for refueling.3
In contrast, a conventionally powered surface combatant might need to slow down for at-sea
refueling at least once during a high-speed, long-distance transit; might need to refuel again upon
arriving at the theater of operations; and might need to refuel periodically while in the theater of
operations, particularly if the ship’s operations in theater require frequent or continuous
movement.
Table 1 shows the unrefueled cruising ranges of the Navy’s existing conventionally powered
cruisers and destroyers at a speed of 20 knots, along with transit distances from major U.S. Navy
home ports to potential U.S. Navy operating areas. Navy surface combatants have maximum
sustained speeds of more than 30 knots. A speed of 20 knots is a moderately fast long-distance
transit speed for a Navy surface combatant. For a higher transit speed, such as 25 knots, the
unrefueled cruising ranges would be less than those shown in the table, because the amount of
fuel needed to travel a certain distance rises with ship speed, particularly as speeds increase above
about 15 knots.
Table 1. Unrefueled Cruising Ranges and Transit Distances
(in nautical miles)
Unrefueled cruising ranges at 20 knots
Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class destroyer
4,400 nm
Ticonderoga (CG-47) class cruiser
6,000 nm
Transit distances
Pearl Harbor, HI, to area east of Taiwana,b 4,283
nm
San Diego, CA, to area east of Taiwana,c 5,933
nm
Pearl Harbor, HI, to Persian Gulf (via Singapore)
~9,500 nm
3 For an aircraft carrier, the use of nuclear power permits space inside the ship that would have been used for storing
ship fuel to be used instead for storing aircraft fuel or other supplies. This lengthens the period of time that a carrier can
sustain aircraft operations before needing to take on fuel or other supplies.
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San Diego, CA, to Persian Gulf (via Singapore)c
~11,300 nm
Norfolk to Persian Gulf (via Suez canal)
~8,300 nm
Sources: For ship unrefueled cruising ranges: Norman Polmar, The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of
the U.S. Fleet, 18th ed., Annapolis (MD), 2005. For transit distances to area east of Taiwan: Straight line distances
calculated by the “how far is it” calculator, available at http://www.indo.com/distance/. (Actual transit distances
may be greater due to the possible need for ships to depart from a straight-line course so as to avoid land
barriers, remain within port-area shipping channels, etc.) For transit distances to Persian Gulf: Defense Mapping
Agency, Distances Between Ports (Pub. 151), 7th ed., 1993, with distances shown for reaching a position roughly in
the center of the Persian Gulf.
a. Area east of Taiwan defined as a position in the sea at 24oN, 124oE, which is roughly 130 nautical miles east
of Taiwan.
b. Distance from Pearl Harbor calculated from Honolulu, which is about 6 nautical miles southeast of Pearl
Harbor.
c. For transit distances from the Navy home port at Everett, WA, north of Seattle, rather than from San
Diego, subtract about 700 nm.
During extended operations at sea, a nuclear-powered surface combatant, like a conventionally
powered one, might need to be resupplied with food, weapons (if sufficient numbers are
expended in combat), and other supplies. These resupply operations can temporarily reduce the
ship’s ability to perform its missions.
U.S. Navy Nuclear-Powered Ships
Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program
The Navy’s nuclear propulsion program began in 1948. The Navy’s first nuclear-powered ship,
the submarine Nautilus (SSN-571), was commissioned into service on September 30, 1954, and
went to sea for the first time on January 17, 1955. The Navy’s first nuclear-powered surface ships,
the cruiser Long Beach (CGN-9) and the aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN-65), were
commissioned into service on September 9, 1961, and November 25, 1961, respectively.
The Navy’s nuclear propulsion program is overseen and directed by an office called Naval
Reactors (NR), which exists simultaneously as a part of both the Navy (where it forms a part of
the Naval Sea Systems Command) and the Department of Energy (where it forms a part of the
National Nuclear Security Administration). NR has broad, cradle-to-grave responsibility for the
Navy’s nuclear-propulsion program. This responsibility is set forth in Executive Order 12344 of
February 1, 1982, the text of which was effectively incorporated into the U.S. Code (at 50 USC
2511)4 by Section 1634 of the FY1985 defense authorization act (H.R. 5167/P.L. 98-525 of
October 19, 1984) and again by section 3216 of the FY2000 defense authorization act (S.
1059/P.L. 106-65 of October 5, 1999). NR has established a reputation for maintaining very high
safety standards for engineering and operating Navy nuclear power plants.
The first director of NR was Admiral Hyman Rickover, who served in the position from 1948
until 1982. Rickover is sometimes referred to as the father of the nuclear Navy. The current
4 See also 42 USC 7158.
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Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
director is Admiral Kirkland Donald, who became director in November 2004. He is the fifth
person to hold the position.
Current Navy Nuclear-Powered Ships
All of the Navy’s submarines and all of its aircraft carriers are nuclear-powered. No other Navy
ships are currently nuclear-powered. The Navy’s combat submarine force has been entirely
nuclear-powered since 1990.5 The Navy’s aircraft carrier force became entirely nuclear-powered
on May 12, 2009, with the retirement of the Kitty Hawk (CV-63), the Navy’s last remaining
conventionally powered carrier.
Earlier Navy Nuclear-Powered Cruisers
Although no Navy surface ships other than aircraft carriers are currently nuclear-powered, the
Navy in the past built and operated nine nuclear-powered cruisers (CGNs). The nine ships, which
are shown in Table 2, include three one-of-a-kind designs (CGNs 9, 25, and 35) followed by the
two-ship California (CGN-36) class and the four-ship Virginia (CGN-38) class. All nine ships
were decommissioned in the 1990s.
The nuclear-powered cruisers shown in Table 2 were procured to provide nuclear-powered
escorts for the Navy’s nuclear-powered carriers. Procurement of nuclear-powered cruisers was
halted after FY1975 largely due to a desire to constrain the procurement costs of future cruisers.
In deciding in the late 1970s on the design for the new cruiser that would carry the Aegis defense
system, two nuclear-powered Aegis-equipped options—a 17,200-ton nuclear-powered strike
cruiser (CSGN) and a 12,100-ton derivative of the CGN-38 class design—were rejected in favor
of a third option of placing the Aegis system onto the smaller, conventionally powered hull
originally developed for the Spruance (DD-963) class destroyer. The CSGN was estimated to
have a procurement cost twice that of the DD-963-based option, while the CGN-42 was estimated
to have a procurement cost 30%-50% greater than that of the DD-963-based option. The DD-963-
based option became the 9,500-ton Ticonderoga (CG-47) class Aegis cruiser. The first Aegis
cruiser was procured in FY1978.
5 The Navy’s final three non-nuclear-powered combat submarines were procured in FY1956, entered service in 1959,
retired in 1988-1990. A non-nuclear-powered, non-combat auxiliary research submarine, the Dolphin (AGSS-555), was
procured in FY1961, entered service in 1968, and retired in January 2007.
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Table 2. Earlier Navy Nuclear-Powered Cruisers
Hull
Displacement
Entered
number
Name Builder (tons)
Procured
service
Decommissioned
CGN-9 Long
Beach
Bethlehema 17,100 FY57 1961
1995
CGN-25 Bainbridge Bethlehema 8,580 FY59 1962
1996
CGN-35 Truxtun New
Yorkb 8,800 FY62 1967
1995
CGN-36 California NGNNc 10,530 FY67
1974 1999
CGN-37 South
NGNNc 10,530 FY68
1975 1999
Carolina
CGN-38 Virginia
NGNNc 11,300 FY70
1976 1994
CGN-39 Texas
NGNNc 11,300 FY71
1977 1993
CGN-40 Mississippi NGNNc 11,300 FY72
1978 1997
CGN-41 Arkansas NGNNc 11,300 FY75
1980 1998
Source: Prepared by CRS based on Navy data and Norman Polmar, The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet.
a. Bethlehem Steel, Quincy, MA.
b. New York Shipbuilding, Camden, NJ.
c. Newport News Shipbuilding, now known as Northrop Grumman Newport News (NGNN).
Initial Fuel Core Included in Procurement Cost
The initial fuel core for a Navy nuclear-powered ship is installed during the construction of the
ship. The procurement cost of the fuel core is included in the total procurement cost of the ship,
which is funded in the Navy’s shipbuilding budget, known formally as the Shipbuilding and
Conversion, Navy (SCN) appropriation account. In constant FY2007 dollars, the initial fuel core
for a Virginia (SSN-774) class submarine cost about $170 million, and the initial fuel cores for an
aircraft carrier (which uses two reactors and therefore has two fuel cores) had a combined cost of
about $660 million.6
The procurement cost of a conventionally powered Navy ship, in contrast, does not include the
cost of petroleum-based fuel needed to operate the ship, and this fuel is procured largely through
the Operation and Maintenance, Navy (OMN) appropriation account.
Section 1012 of FY2008 Defense Authorization Act (P.L. 110-181)
Section 1012 of the FY2008 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4986/P.L. 110-181 of January 28,
2008) makes it U.S. policy to construct the major combatant ships of the Navy, including ships
like the CG(X), with integrated nuclear power systems, unless the Secretary of Defense submits a
notification to Congress that the inclusion of an integrated nuclear power system in a given class
of ship is not in the national interest.
6 Source: Telephone conversation with Naval Reactors, March 8, 2007. Naval Reactor states that the cost figure of
about $660 million for an aircraft carrier ($330 million for each of two fuel cores) applies to both existing Nimitz
(CVN-68) class carriers and the new Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class carrier (also known as the CVN-21 class).
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The FY2010 defense authorization bill (S. 1390) as reported by the Senate Armed Services
Committee (S.Rept. 111-35 of July 2, 2009) contained a provision (Section 1012) that would
repeal Section 1012 of the FY2008 defense authorization act. The House Armed Services
Committee, in its report (H.Rept. 111-166 of June 18, 2009) on the FY2010 defense authorization
bill (H.R. 2647), stated that it “remains committed to the direction” of Section 1012 of the
FY2008 defense authorization act. The conference report (H.Rept. 111-288 of October 7, 2009)
on the FY2010 defense authorization act (H.R. 2647/P.L. 111-84 of October 28, 2009) did not
contain a provision repealing or amending Section 1012 of the FY2008 defense authorization act.
CG(X) Cruiser Program7
The Program in General
The CG(X) cruiser was a planned replacement for the Navy’s 22 Aegis cruisers, which are
projected to reach retirement age between 2021 and 2029. The Navy originally wanted to build as
many as 19 CG(X)s, with the first to be procured around FY2017.8
The Navy assessed CG(X) design options in a large study called the CG(X) Analysis of
Alternatives (AOA), known more formally as the Maritime Air and Missile Defense of Joint
Forces (MAMDJF) AOA. The Navy did not announce whether it would prefer to build the CG(X)
as a nuclear-powered ship. The Navy stated that it wanted to equip the CG(X) with a combat
system featuring a powerful radar capable of supporting ballistic missile defense (BMD)
operations.9 The Navy testified that this combat system was to have a power output of 30 or 31
megawatts, which is several times the power output of the combat system on the Navy’s existing
cruisers and destroyers.10 This suggested that in terms of power used for combat system
operations, the CG(X) might have used substantially more energy over the course of its life than
the Navy’s existing cruisers and destroyers. As discussed later in this report, a ship’s life-cycle
energy use is a factor in evaluating the economic competitiveness of nuclear power compared to
conventional power.
Reactor Plant for a Nuclear-Powered CG(X)
The Navy testified in 2007 that in the Navy’s 2006 study on alternative ship propulsion systems
(see “2006 Navy Alternative Propulsion Study” below), the notional medium-sized surface
combatant in the study (which the study defined as a ship with a displacement between 21,000
metric tons and 26,000 metric tons) used a modified version of one-half of the reactor plant that
the Navy has developed for its new Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class aircraft carriers, also called
the CVN-21 class.11 The Ford-class reactor plant, like the reactor plant on the Navy’s existing
7 For more on the CG(X) program, see CRS Report RL34179, Navy CG(X) Cruiser Program: Background for
Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.
8 The FY2009 budget called for procuring the first CG(X) in FY2011, but the Navy’s proposed FY2010 budget
deferred the planned procurement of the first CG(X) beyond FY2015.
9 For more on Navy BMD programs, see CRS Report RL33745, Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD)
Program—Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.
10 Source: Testimony of Navy officials to the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed
Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
11 Source: Testimony of Navy officials to the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed
(continued...)
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Nimitz (CVN-68) class aircraft carriers, is a twin reactor plant that includes two nuclear
reactors.12 The medium-sized surface combatant employed a modified version of one-half of this
plant, with a single reactor.
This suggested that if the CG(X) were a ship with a displacement of 21,000 or more metric tons,
its reactor plant could have been a modified version of one-half of the Ford-class reactor plant.
This approach would minimize the time and cost of developing a reactor plant for a nuclear-
powered CG(X). In the Ford class, the initial nuclear fuel cores in the two reactors are to be
sufficient to power the ship for one-half of its expected life of 40 to 50 years. In a nuclear-
powered CG(X), the Navy said, the initial fuel core in the single reactor would be sufficient to
power the ship for its entire expected life of 30 to 35 years. Since the two fuel cores for an aircraft
carrier cost about $660 million in constant FY2007 dollars (see previous section on initial fuel
cores), the cost of a single fuel core for a CG(X) might be about $330 million in constant FY2007
dollars.
Proposed Cancellation of Program
The Navy’s FY2011 budget proposes canceling the CG(X) program and instead building an
improved version of the conventionally powered Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class Aegis
destroyer.13 The cancellation of the CG(X) program would appear to leave no near-term
shipbuilding program opportunities for expanding the application of nuclear power to Navy
surface ships other than aircraft carriers.
Construction Shipyards
Nuclear-Capable Shipyards
Two U.S. shipyards are currently certified to build nuclear-powered ships—Northrop Grumman
Newport News (NGNN) of Newport News, VA, and General Dynamics’ Electric Boat Division
(GD/EB) of Groton, CT, and Quonset Point, RI. NGNN can build nuclear-powered surface ships
and nuclear-powered submarines. GD/EB can build nuclear-powered submarines. NGNN has
built all the Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. NGNN also built the final six nuclear-
powered cruisers shown in Table 2. NGNN and GD/EB together have built every Navy nuclear-
powered submarine procured since FY1969.
Although NGNN and GD/EB are the only U.S. shipyards that currently build nuclear-powered
ships for the Navy, five other U.S. shipyards once did so as well.14 These five yards built 44 of the
(...continued)
Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
12 For more on the CVN-21 program, see CRS Report RS20643, Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program:
Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O’Rourke.
13 For more on the CG(X) program and its proposed cancellation, see CRS Report RL34179, Navy CG(X) Cruiser
Program: Background for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke; and CRS Report RL32109, Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000
Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.
14 The five yards are the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard of Kittery, ME; the Mare Island Naval Shipyard of Mare Island,
CA; the Ingalls shipyard of Pascagoula, MS, that now forms part of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems; Bethlehem
Steel of Quincy, MA (which became a part of General Dynamics); and New York Shipbuilding of Camden, NJ.
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107 nuclear-powered submarines that were procured for the Navy through FY1968. Two of these
five yards built the first three nuclear-powered cruisers shown in Table 2.
Surface Combatant Shipyards
All cruisers and destroyers procured for the Navy since FY1978 have been built at two
shipyards—General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works (GD/BIW) of Bath, ME, and the Ingalls
shipyard at Pascagoula, MS, that now forms part of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (NGSS).
GD/BIW has never built nuclear-powered ships. Ingalls is one of the five U.S. yards other than
NGNN and GD/EB that once built nuclear-powered ships. Ingalls built 12 nuclear-powered
submarines, the last being the Parche (SSN-683), which was procured in FY1968, entered service
in 1974, and retired in 2005.15 Ingalls also overhauled or refueled 11 nuclear-powered
submarines. Ingalls’ nuclear facility was decommissioned in 1980, and NGSS is not certified to
build nuclear-powered ships.16
Recent Navy Studies for Congress
The Navy in recent years has conducted two studies for Congress on the potential cost-
effectiveness of expanding the use of nuclear power to a wider array of surface ships. These
studies are the 2005 Naval Reactors quick look analysis, and the more comprehensive and
detailed 2006 Navy alternative propulsion study. Each of these is discussed below.
2005 Naval Reactors Quick Look Analysis
The 2005 NR quick look analysis was conducted at the request of Representative Roscoe Bartlett,
who was then chairman of the Projection Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services
Committee (since renamed the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee). The analysis
concluded that the total life-cycle cost (meaning the sum of procurement cost, life-cycle operating
and support cost, and post-retirement disposal cost) of a nuclear-powered version of a large-deck
(LHA-type) amphibious assault ship would equal that of a conventionally powered version of
such a ship if the cost of crude oil over the life of the ship averaged about $70 per barrel. The
study concluded that the total life-cycle cost of a nuclear-powered surface combatant would equal
that of a conventionally powered version if the cost of crude oil over the life of the ship averaged
about $178 per barrel. This kind of calculation is called a life-cycle cost break-even analysis. The
study noted but did not attempt to quantify the mobility-related operational advantages of nuclear
propulsion for a surface ship.17
15 Ingalls built its nuclear-powered submarines at its older East Bank facility. Ingalls’ newer West Bank facility has
been used for building conventionally powered surface ships, principally surface combatants and large-deck
amphibious ships.
16 In addition to building 12 nuclear-powered submarines, Northrop Grumman states that Ingalls’ facilities “allowed
Ingalls to participate in submarine overhaul and refueling. By the time the shipyard’s nuclear facility was
decommissioned in 1980, 11 U.S. Navy attack submarines had been overhauled and/or refueled at Ingalls.” Source:
Northrop Grumman chronological perspective on Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, at
http://www.ss.northropgrumman.com/company/chronological.html.
17 U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, briefing entitled “Nuclear and Fossil Fuel Powered Surface Ships, Quick
Look Analysis,” presented to CRS on March 22, 2006. The analysis concluded that total life-cycle costs for nuclear-
powered versions of large-deck aircraft carriers, LHA-type amphibious assault ships and surface combatants would
equal those of conventionally powered versions when the price of diesel fuel marine (DFM) delivered to the Navy
(continued...)
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2006 Navy Alternative Propulsion Study
The more comprehensive and detailed 2006 Navy alternative propulsion study was conducted in
response to Section 130 of the FY2006 defense authorization act (H.R. 1815, P.L. 109-163 of
January 6, 2006), which called for such a study (see “Prior-Year Legislative Activity”). The study
reached a number of conclusions, including the following:
• In constant FY2007 dollars, building a Navy surface combatant or amphibious
ship with nuclear power rather than conventional power would add roughly $600
million to $800 million to its procurement cost.
—For a small surface combatant, the procurement-cost increase was about $600
million.
—For a medium-size combatant (defined as a ship with a displacement between
21,000 metric tons and 26,000 metric tons), the increase was about $600 million to
about $700 million.
—For an amphibious ship, the increase was about $800 million.18
• Although nuclear-powered ships have higher procurement costs than
conventionally powered ships, they have lower operating and support costs when
fuel costs are taken into account.
• A ship’s operational tempo and resulting level of energy use significantly
influences the life-cycle cost break-even analysis. The higher the operational
tempo and resulting level of energy use assumed for the ship, lower the cost of
crude oil needed to break even on a life-cycle cost basis, and the more
competitive nuclear power becomes in terms of total life-cycle cost.
• The newly calculated life-cycle cost break-even cost-ranges, which supercede the
break-even cost figures from the 2005 NR quick look analysis, are as follows:
—$210 per barrel to $670 per barrel for a small surface combatant;
—$70 per barrel to $225 per barrel for a medium-size surface combatant; and
—$210 per barrel to $290 per barrel for an amphibious ship. In each case, the
lower dollar figure is for a high ship operating tempo, and the higher dollar figure
is for a low ship operating tempo.
• At a crude oil cost of $74.15 per barrel (which was a market price at certain
points in 2006), the life-cycle cost premium of nuclear power is:
—17% to 37% for a small surface combatant;
(...continued)
reached $55, $80, and $205 per barrel, respectively. Since the cost of DFM delivered to the Navy was calculated to be
roughly 15% greater than that of crude oil, these figures corresponded to break-even crude-oil costs of about $48, $70,
and $178 per barrel, respectively.
18 In each case, the cost increase is for the fifth ship in a class being built at two shipyards.
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—0% to 10% for a medium sized surface combatant; and
—7% to 8% for an amphibious ship.
• The life-cycle cost break-even analysis indicates that nuclear-power should be
considered for near-term applications for medium-size surface combatants, and
that life-cycle cost will not drive the selection of nuclear power for small surface
combatants or amphibious ships. A nuclear-powered medium-size surface
combatant is the most likely of the three ship types studied to prove economical,
depending on the operating tempo that the ship actually experiences over its
lifetime.
• Compared to conventionally powered ships, nuclear-powered ships have
advantages in terms of both time needed to surge to a distant theater of operation
for a contingency, and operational presence (time on station) in the theater of
operation.19
Potential Issues for Congress
No Apparent Near-Term Shipbuilding Program Opportunities
The cancellation of the CG(X) program would appear to leave no near-term shipbuilding program
opportunities for expanding the application of nuclear power to Navy surface ships other than
aircraft carriers.
Assessing Whether Any Future Ship Classes Should Be
Nuclear Powered
In assessing whether any future classes of Navy surface ships (in addition to aircraft carriers)
should be nuclear-powered, Congress may consider a number of issues, including cost,
operational effectiveness, ship construction, ship maintenance and repair, crew training, ports
calls and forward homeporting, and environmental impact. Each of these is discussed below.
Cost
Development and Design Cost
The cost calculations presented in the 2006 Navy alternative propulsion study do not include the
additional up-front design and development costs, if any, for a nuclear-powered surface ship. As
discussed in the “Background” section, if the CG(X) were to displace 21,000 or more metric tons,
the Navy could have the option of fitting the CG(X) with a modified version of one-half of the
Ford (CVN-78) class aircraft carrier nuclear power plant. This could minimize the up-front
19 Source: Statement of The Honorable Dr. Delores M. Etter, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development
and Acquisition), et al., Before the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services
Committee on Integrated Nuclear Power Systems for Future Naval Surface Combatants, March 1, 2007, pp. 4-5.
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development cost of the CG(X) nuclear power plant. If the CG(X) were not large enough to
accommodate a modified version of one-half of the Ford-class plant, then a new nuclear plant
would need to be designed for the CG(X). Although this new plant could use components
common to the Ford-class plant or other existing Navy nuclear plants, the cost of developing this
new plant would likely be greater than the cost of modifying the Ford-class plant design.
Procurement Cost
For the CG(X). The Navy originally stated a preference for basing the design of the CG(X) on
the design of its new Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyer, which is a conventionally powered
ship. This approach could result in a conventionally powered CG(X) design with a procurement
cost similar to that of the DDG-1000. If a conventionally powered CG(X) were to have a
procurement cost equal to that of the DDG-1000 design, then a nuclear-powered CG(X) might
cost roughly 32% to 37% more than a conventionally powered CG(X).20 If a conventionally
powered CG(X) were to have a procurement cost greater than that of the DDG-1000, then the
percentage procurement cost premium for nuclear power for the CG(X) would be less than 32%
to 37%. The 2006 Navy study states that for a medium-size surface combatant that is larger than
the DDG-1000, an additional cost of about $600 million to $700 million would equate to a
procurement cost increase of about 22%. In more recent years, however, the Navy appeared to
back away from the idea of basing the design of the CG(X) on the design of the DDG-1000.
If building a Navy surface combatant or amphibious ship with nuclear power rather than
conventional power would add roughly $600 million to $700 million to its procurement cost, then
procuring one or two nuclear-powered CG(X)s per year, as called for in the Navy’s 30-year
shipbuilding plan, would cost roughly $600 million to $1,400 million more per year than
procuring one or two conventionally powered CG(X)s per year, and procuring a force of 19
nuclear-powered CG(X)s would cost roughly $11.4 billion to $13.3 billion more than procuring a
force of 19 conventionally powered CG(X)s. A figure of $13.3 is comparable to the total amount
of funding in the Navy’s shipbuilding budget in certain recent years.
For Submarines and Aircraft Carriers. The Navy in 2007 estimated that building the CG(X) or
other future Navy surface ships with nuclear power could reduce the production cost of nuclear-
propulsion components for submarines and aircraft carriers by 5% to 9%, depending on the
number of nuclear-powered surface ships that are built.21 Building one nuclear-powered cruiser
every two years, the Navy has testified, might reduce nuclear-propulsion component costs by
about 7%. In a steady-state production environment, the Navy testified in 2007, the savings might
equate to about $115 million for each aircraft carrier, and about $35 million for each submarine.
20 The Navy in 2007 estimated that follow-on DDG-1000 destroyers would cost an average of about $1.9 billion each to
procure in constant FY2007 dollars. (This figure was based on the then-year costs for the third through seventh ships in
the DDG-1000 class, which the Navy wants to procure in FY2009-FY2013. These costs were converted into constant
FY2007 dollars using a January 2007 Navy shipbuilding deflator. The deflator was provided by the Navy to the
Congressional Budget Office, which forwarded it to CRS.) Increasing a ship’s procurement cost from about $1.9 billion
to $2.5 billion or $2.6 billion (i.e., increasing it by $600 million to $700 million) equates to an increase of 32% to 37%.
21 Statement of Admiral Kirkland H. Donald, U.S. Navy, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, Before the
House Armed Services Committee Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee on Nuclear Propulsion For
Surface Ships, 1 March 2007, p. 13.
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The Navy stated that this “is probably the most optimistic estimate.”22 The Navy states that these
savings were not included in the cost calculations presented in the 2006 Navy study.
BWXT, a principal maker of nuclear-propulsion components for Navy ships, estimated in 2007
that increasing Virginia-class submarine procurement from one boat per year to two boats per
year would reduce the cost of nuclear propulsion components 9% for submarines and 8% for
aircraft carriers, and that “Adding a nuclear[-powered] cruiser or [nuclear-powered] large-deck
amphibious ship would significantly drive down nuclear power plant costs across the fleet, even
beyond the savings associated with the second Virginia-class [submarine per year].”23
Total Life-Cycle Cost
As suggested by the 2006 Navy study, the total-life-cycle cost break-even analysis can be affected
by projections of future oil prices and ship operating tempo.
Future Oil Prices. Views on potential future oil prices vary.24 Some supporters of using nuclear
power for the CG(X) and other future Navy surface ships, such as Representatives Gene Taylor
and Roscoe Bartlett, the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Seapower and
Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, believe that oil in
coming decades may become increasingly expensive, or that guaranteed access to oil may
become more problematic, and that this is a central reason for making the CG(X) or other future
Navy surface ships nuclear-powered.25
Ship Operating Tempo. A ship’s average lifetime operating tempo can be affected by the
number of wars, crises, and other contingency operations that it participates in over its lifetime,
because such events can involve operating tempos that are higher than those of “normal” day-to-
day operations. Ship operating tempo can also be affected by the size of the Navy. The lower the
number of ships in the Navy, for example, the higher the operating tempo each a ship might be
required to sustain for the fleet to accomplish a given set of missions.
CG(X) vs. Medium-Size Surface Combatant. If the CG(X) were based on the hull design of the
14,500-ton DDG-1000 destroyer, the CG(X) may be smaller the 21,000- to 26,000-ton medium-
size surface combatant in the 2006 Navy study. What difference that might create between the
CG(X) and the medium-size surface combatant in terms of life-cycle energy use, and thus life-
cycle cost break-even range, is not clear. The Navy has testified that the medium sized surface
combatant in the 2006 study was modeled with a radar requiring 30 or 31 megawatts of power,
like the radar the Navy wants to install on the CG(X).26
22 Spoken testimony of Admiral Kirkland Donald before the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the
House Armed Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
23 Testimony of Winfred Nash, President, BWXT, Nuclear Operations Division, Before the Subcommittee on Seapower
and Expeditionary Forces of the House Armed Service Committee [on Submarine Force Structure and Acquisition
Policy], March 8, 2007, pp. 2 and 4.
24 For a standard U.S. government projection of future oil prices, assuming current policy remains in place, see the
Energy Information Administration’s Annual Energy Outlook, at http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/index.html.
25 See, for example, the remarks of Representative Taylor at the hearing of the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
26 Source: Testimony of Navy officials to the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed
Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
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Operational Effectiveness
Operational Value of Increased Ship Mobility
What is the operational value of increased ship mobility? How much better can a ship perform its
missions as a result of this increased mobility? And is there some way to translate the mobility
advantages of nuclear power into dollar terms? One potential way to translate the value of
increased ship mobility into dollar terms would be to determine how much aggregate capability a
force of 19 conventionally powered CG(X)s would have for surging to distant theaters and for
maintaining on-station presence in theater, then determine how many nuclear-powered CG(X)s
would be required to provide the same aggregate capability, and then compare the total cost of the
19 conventionally powered CG(X)s to the total cost of the nuclear-powered CG(X) force.
Potential Other Operational Advantages of Nuclear Power
Are there operational advantages of nuclear power for a surface ship other than increased ship
mobility? One possibility concerns ship detectability. A nuclear-powered ship does not require an
exhaust stack as part of its deckhouse, and does not emit hot exhaust gases. Other things held
equal, this might make a nuclear-powered surface ship less detectible than a conventionally
powered ship, particularly to infrared sensors. This possible advantage for the nuclear-powered
ship might be either offset or reinforced by possible differences between the nuclear-powered
ship and the conventionally powered ship in other areas, such as the temperature of the engine
compartment (which again might affect infrared detectability) or the level of machinery noise
(which might affect acoustic detectability).
Some supporters of building future Navy surface ships with nuclear power have argued that an
additional operational advantage of nuclear power for surface ships would be to reduce the
Navy’s dependence on its relatively small force of refueling oilers, and thus the potential impact
on fleet operations of an enemy attack on those oilers. The Navy acknowledges that potential
attacks on oilers are a concern, but argues that the fleet’s vulnerability to such attacks is
recognized and that oilers consequently are treated as high-value ships in terms of measures taken
to protect them from attack.27
Another potential advantage of nuclear power postulated by some observers is that a nuclear-
powered ship can use its reactor to provide electrical power for use ashore for extended periods of
time, particularly to help localities that are experiencing brownouts during peak use periods or
whose access to electrical power from the grid has been disrupted by a significant natural disaster
or terrorist attack. The Navy stated that the CG(X) was to have a total power-generating capacity
of about 80 megawatts (MW). Some portion of that would be needed to operate the reactor plant
itself and other essential equipment aboard the ship. Much of the rest might be available for
transfer off the ship. For purposes of comparison, a typical U.S. commercial power plant might
have a capacity of 300 MW to 1000 MW. A single megawatt can be enough to meet the needs of
several hundred U.S. homes, depending on the region of the country and other factors.28
27 Spoken testimony of Vice Admiral Jonathan Greenert before the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee
of the House Armed Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
28 See, for example, the discussion of the issue at http://www.utilipoint.com/issuealert/print.asp?id=1728.)
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Skeptics of the idea of using nuclear-powered ships to generate electrical power for use ashore
could argue that if the local transmission system has been disrupted, the ship’s generation
capacity may be of limited use in restoring electric power. If the local transmission system is
intact, they could argue, onshore infrastructure would be required to transmit the ship’s power
into the local system. The military or a local utility, they could argue, would likely bear the cost
for this infrastructure, which would be used only on a sporadic basis. Skeptics could argue that a
Navy ship would be helpful only if the power emergency lasts longer than the time it would take
for the ship to reach the connection point. If the nearest available Navy ship is several steaming
days away from the connection point when the power emergency occurs, they could argue, the
ship might not be able arrive before local power is partially or fully restored. Skeptics could argue
that critical facilities in the area of the power emergency, such as hospitals, would likely be
equipped with emergency back-up diesel generators to respond to short-term loss of power.29
Ship Construction
Shipyards
Another potential issue for Congress to consider in weighing whether future Navy surface ships
(in addition to aircraft carriers) should be nuclear-powered concerns the shipyards that would be
used to build the ships. There are at least three potential approaches for building a nuclear-
powered version of a major surface combatant like the CG(X):
• Build them at NGNN, with GD/EB possibly contributing to the construction of
the ships’ nuclear portions.
• Certify NGSS and/or GD/BIW to build nuclear-powered ships, and then build the
CG(X)s at those yards.
• Build the nuclear portions of the CG(X)s at NGNN and/or GD/EB, the non-
nuclear portions at NGSS and/or GD/BIW, and perform final assembly,
integration, and test work for the ships at either
—NGNN and/or GD/EB, or
—NGSS and/or GD/BIW.
These options have significant potential implications for workloads and employment levels at
each of these shipyards.
On the question of what would be needed to certify NGSS and/or GD/BIW to build nuclear-
powered ships, the director of NR testified that:
Just the basics of what it takes to have a nuclear-certified yard, to build one from scratch, or
even if one existed once upon a time as it did at Pasacagoula, and we shut it down, first and
foremost you have to have the facilities to do that. What that includes, and I have just some
notes here, but such things as you have to have the docks and the dry-docks and the pier
29 For examples of articles discussing the idea of using nuclear-powered ships to generate electrical power for use
ashore, see Jose Femenia, “Nuclear Ships Can Help Meet U.S. Electrical Needs,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings,
August 2004: 78-80; and Linda de France, “Using Navy Nuclear Reactors To Help Power California Not Worth
Effort,” Aerospace Daily, May 4, 2001.
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capability to support nuclear ships, whatever that would entail. You would have to have
lifting and handling equipment, cranes, that type of thing; construction facilities to build the
special nuclear components, and to store those components and protect them in the way that
would be required.
The construction facilities would be necessary for handling fuel and doing the fueling
operations that would be necessary on the ship—those types of things. And then the second
piece is, and probably the harder piece other than just kind of the brick-and-mortar type, is
building the structures, the organizations in place to do that work, for instance, nuclear
testing, specialized nuclear engineering, nuclear production work. If you look, for instance,
at Northrop Grumman Newport News, right now, just to give you a perspective of the people
you are talking about in those departments, it is on the order of 769 people in nuclear
engineering; 308 people in the major lines of control department; 225 in nuclear quality
assurance; and then almost 2,500 people who do nuclear production work. So all of those
would have to be, you would have to find that workforce, certify and qualify them, to be able
to do that.30
The director of NR testified that NGNN and GD/BIW “have sufficient capacity to accommodate
nuclear-powered surface ship construction, and therefore there is no need to make the substantial
investment in time and dollars necessary to generate additional excess capacity.”31 In light of this,
the Navy testified, only the first and third options above are “viable.”32 The director of NR
testified that:
my view of this is we have some additional capacity at both Electric Boat and at Northrop
Grumman Newport News. My primary concern is if we are serious about building another
nuclear-powered warship, a new class of warship, cost is obviously going to be some degree
of concern, and certainly this additional costs, which would be—and I don’t have a number
to give you right now, but I think you can see it would be substantial to do it even if you
could. It probably doesn’t help our case to move down the path toward building another
nuclear-powered case, when we have the capability existing already in those existing yards.33
With regard to the third option of building the nuclear portions of the ships at NGNN and/or
GD/EB, and the non-nuclear portions at NGSS and/or GD/BIW, the Navy testified that the
“Location of final ship erection would require additional analysis.” One Navy official, however,
expressed a potential preference for performing final assembly, integration, and test work at
NGNN or GD/EB, stating that:
we are building warships in modular sections now. So if we were going to [ask], “Could you
assemble this [ship], could you build modules of this ship in different yards and put it
together in a nuclear-certified yard?”, the answer is yes, definitely, and we do that today with
30 Spoken testimony of Admiral Kirkland Donald before the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the
House Armed Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
31 Statement of Admiral Kirkland H. Donald, U.S. Navy, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, Before the
House Armed Services Committee Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee on Nuclear Propulsion For
Surface Ships, 1 March 2007, p. 13.
32 Source: Statement of The Honorable Dr. Delores M. Etter, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development
and Acquisition), et al., Before the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services
Committee on Integrated Nuclear Power Systems for Future Naval Surface Combatants, March 1, 2007, p. 7.
33 Spoken testimony of Admiral Kirkland Donald before the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the
House Armed Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
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the Virginia Class [submarine program]. As you know, we are barging modules of [that type
of] submarine up and down the coast.
What I would want is, and sort of following along with what [NR director] Admiral
[Kirkland] Donald said, you would want the delivering yard to be the yard where the reactor
plant was built, tooled, and tested, because they have the expertise to run through all of that
nuclear work and test and certify the ship and take it out on sea trials.
But the modules of the non-reactor plant, which is the rest of the ship, could be built
theoretically at other yards and barged or transported in other fashion to the delivering
shipyard. If I had to do it ideally, that is where I would probably start talking to my industry
partners, because although we have six [large] shipyards [for building large navy ships], it is
really two corporations [that own them], and those two corporations each own what is now a
surface combatant shipyard and they each own a nuclear-capable shipyard. I would say if we
were going to go do this, we would sit down with them and say, you know, from a
corporation standpoint, what would be the best work flow? What would be the best place to
construct modules? And how would you do the final assembly and testing of a nuclear-
powered warship?34
Nuclear-Propulsion Component Manufacturers
A related issue that Congress may consider in weighing whether future Navy surface ships (in
addition to aircraft carriers) should be nuclear-powered is whether there is sufficient capacity at
the firms that make nuclear-propulsion components to accommodate the increase in production
volume that would result from building such ships with nuclear power. On this question, the Navy
has testified:
Right now, as I look across the industrial base that provides [for nuclear-powered ships],
let’s just talk about the components, for instance, and I just look across that base, because we
have been asserting earlier that we were going to go to [a procurement rate of two Virginia-
class submarines per year] earlier [than the currently planned year of FY2012], we had
facilitized and have sustained an over-capacity in those facilities to support construction of
those additional components. So right now, it depends on the vendor and which one is doing
what, the capacity is running right now at probably about 65 percent of what it could be
doing, on the order of that. Again, it varies depending on the vendor specifically.
So there is additional capacity in there, and even with the addition of a second Virginia-class
submarine, there is still a margin in there, if you are talking about a single cruiser in the early
phases of design, we still have margin in there that I believe we can sustain that work in
addition to the submarine work within the industrial base.
We would have to look at that in more detail once we determine what the design looks like
and the degree to which we can use existing components. If you had to design new
components, that would add a little bit more complexity to it, but that is a rough estimate of
what I would provide for you now.35
34 Spoken testimony of Vice Admiral Paul E. Sullivan, Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, to the Seapower
and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
35 Spoken testimony of Admiral Kirkland Donald before the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the
House Armed Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
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Ship Maintenance and Repair
Building future Navy surface ships (in addition to aircraft carriers) with nuclear power could
affect the future distribution of Navy ship maintenance and repair work, because only certain U.S.
shipyards are qualified for performing certain kinds of work on nuclear-powered ships. Much of
the maintenance and repair work done on nuclear-powered ships is done at the country’s four
government-operated naval shipyards (NSYs)—Portsmouth NSY at Kittery, ME, Norfolk NSY at
Norfolk, VA; Puget Sound NSY at Bremerton, WA; and Pearl Harbor NSY at Pearl Harbor, HI.
NGNN and GD/EB also perform some maintenance and repair work on nuclear-powered ships.
Crew Training
Would the Navy have the capacity to train the additional nuclear-qualified sailors that would be
needed to crew additional nuclear-powered ships? On this question, the director of NR testified
that “My training pipeline does have the capacity without further infrastructure investment to
produce the additional personnel required by future classes of [nuclear-powered] ships.” He also
stated:
We, in looking at the training pipeline, there are a couple of dynamics that are in work right
now. First off, the [nuclear-powered aircraft carrier] Enterprise is going to be going away [in
2013], and that is a pretty significant training load just to keep that crew operating.36 And
also, there as the CVN-21 [carrier class] comes on, [that is, as] the Ford-class carriers come
on, and the [Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carriers] start to go away, [the number of people
required to crew carriers will decrease, because with the] Ford class, we are targeting a 50
percent reduction in the reactor department sizing over there [compared to the Nimitz class].
So for the foreseeable future, the training infrastructure that we have right now will meet the
needs to sustain this [additional] class [of nuclear-powered ship], if you choose to do it.37
Port Calls and Forward Homeporting
A nuclear-powered ship might be less welcome than a conventionally powered ship in the ports of
countries with strong anti-nuclear sentiments. The Navy works to minimize this issue in
connection with its nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers, and states that “U.S.
nuclear-powered warships are welcome today in over 150 ports in more than 50 countries
worldwide, thus allowing our warships to carry out their mission without constraint.”38
Some Navy ships are forward-homeported, meaning that they are homeported in foreign countries
that are close to potential U.S. Navy operating areas overseas. Forward-homeported Navy ships
have occasional need for access to maintenance facilities near their home ports, and foreign
shipyards are not qualified to perform certain kinds of maintenance work on nuclear-powered
Navy ships. Building Navy surface ships (in addition to aircraft carriers) with nuclear power
36 The Enterprise has a one-of-a-kind, eight-reactor nuclear power plant that creates training demands unique to that
ship.
37 Spoken testimony of Admiral Kirkland Donald before the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the
House Armed Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
38 Spoken testimony of Admiral Kirkland Donald before the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee of the
House Armed Services Committee, March 1, 2007.
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might thus affect the number of potentially suitable locations for forward-homeporting the ships,
should the Navy decide that forward homeporting them would be desirable for purposes of
shortening transit times to and from potential operating areas.
Environmental Impact
Conventionally powered ships exhaust greenhouse gases and other pollutants that are created
through combustion of petroleum-based fuel. They can also leak fuel into the water, particularly if
they are damaged in an accident (such as a collision) or by enemy attack. Other environmental
impacts of conventionally powered ships include those associated with extracting oil from the
ground, transporting it to a refinery, refining it into fuel, and transporting that fuel to the ship.
Most of these activities produce additional greenhouse gases and other pollutants.
Nuclear-powered ships do not exhaust greenhouse gases and other pollutants created through
conventional combustion. The environmental impacts of nuclear-powered ships include those
associated with mining and processing uranium to fuel reactors, and with storing and disposing of
spent nuclear fuel cores, radioactive waste water from reactors, and the reactors and other
radioactive components of retired nuclear-powered ships. As mentioned in the “Background”
section, NR has established a reputation for maintaining very high safety standards for
engineering and operating Navy nuclear power plants. In addition, Navy combat ships are built to
withstand significant shock and battle damage. It is possible, however, that a very serious
accident involving a nuclear-powered Navy ship (such as a major collision) or a major enemy
attack on a nuclear-powered Navy ship might damage the ship’s hull and reactor compartment
enough to cause a release of radioactivity, which may have adverse effects on the environment.
Prior-Year Legislative Activity
FY2010 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647/P.L. 111-84)
House
The House Armed Services Committee, in its report (H.Rept. 111-166 of June 18, 2009) on H.R.
2647, states:
The committee believes that the next generation [CG(X)] cruiser must meet the challenge of
emerging ballistic missile technology and that an integrated nuclear power system is required
to achieve maximum capability of the vessel. (Page 72)
The report also states:
The committee remains committed to the direction of section 1012 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110–181), which requires the use of an
integrated nuclear propulsion system for the CGN(X) [cruiser]. (Page 75)
Section 246 of H.R. 2647 would require DOD to submit to the congressional defense committees
a study on the use of thorium-liquid fueled nuclear reactors for Navy surface ships. The text of
Section 246 is as follows:
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SEC. 246. STUDY ON THORIUM-LIQUID FUELED REACTORS FOR NAVAL
FORCES.
(a) Study Required- The Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
shall jointly carry out a study on the use of thorium-liquid fueled nuclear reactors for naval
power needs pursuant to section 1012, of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2008 (P.L. 110-181; 122 Stat. 303).
(b) Contents of Study- In carrying out the study required under subsection (a), the Secretary
of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall, with respect to naval power
requirements for the Navy strike and amphibious force—
(1) compare and contrast thorium-liquid fueled reactor concept to the 2005 Quick Look,
2006 Navy Alternative Propulsion Study, and the navy CG(X) Analysis of Alternatives
study;
(2) identify the benefits to naval operations which thorium-liquid fueled nuclear reactors or
uranium reactors would provide to major surface combatants compared to conventionally
fueled ships, including such benefits with respect to—
(A) fuel cycle, from mining to waste disposal;
(B) security of fuel supply;
(C) power needs for advanced weapons and sensors;
(D) safety of operation, waste handling and disposal, and proliferation issues compared to
uranium reactors;
(E) no requirement to refuel and reduced logistics;
(F) ship upgrades and retrofitting;
(G) reduced manning;
(H) global range at flank speed, greater forward presence, and extended combat operations;
(I) power for advanced sensors and weapons, including electromagnetic guns and lasers;
(J) survivability due to increased performance and reduced signatures;
(K) high power density propulsion;
(L) operational tempo;
(M) operational effectiveness; and
(N) estimated cost-effectiveness; and
(3) conduct a ROM cost-effectiveness comparison of nuclear reactors in use by the Navy as
of the date of the enactment of this Act, thorium-liquid fueled reactors, and conventional
fueled major surface combatants, which shall include a comparison of—
(A) security, safety, and infrastructure costs of fuel supplies;
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(B) nuclear proliferation issues;
(C) reactor safety;
(D) nuclear fuel safety, waste handling, and storage;
(E) power requirements and distribution for sensors, weapons, and propulsion; and
(F) capabilities to fully execute the Navy Maritime Strategic Concept.
(c) Report- Not later than February 1, 2011, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall jointly submit to the congressional defense committees a report
on the results of the study required under subsection (a).
Senate
Section 1012 of the FY2010 defense authorization bill (S. 1390) as reported by the Senate Armed
Services Committee (S.Rept. 111-35 of July 2, 2009) would repeal Section 1012 of the FY2008
defense authorization act (H.R. 4986/P.L. 110-181 of January 28, 2008). The committee’s report
states:
The committee recommends a provision [Section 1012] that would repeal section 1012 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (P.L. 110-181).
Section 1012 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (P.L. 110-
181), as amended by section 1015 of the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act
for Fiscal Year 2009 (P.L. 110-417), would require that all new classes of surface
combatants and all new amphibious assault ships larger than 15,000 deadweight ton light
ship displacement have integrated nuclear power systems, unless the Secretary of Defense
determines that the inclusion of an integrated nuclear power system in such vessel is not in
the national interest.
The committee believes that the Navy is already having too much difficulty in achieving the
goal of a 313-ship fleet without adding a substantial increment to the acquisition price of a
significant portion of the fleet. Moreover, current acquisition law and the Weapon System
Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-23) emphasize the need to start acquisition
programs on a sure footing as a central mechanism by which the Department of Defense
(DOD) can get control of cost growth and schedule slippage on major defense acquisition
programs. Therefore, Congress should be loathe to dictate a particular outcome of a
requirements process before the Department has conducted the normal requirements review.
The committee expects that the Navy will continue to evaluate the integrated nuclear power
alternative for any new class of major surface combatants, but would prefer that any Navy
requirements analysis not be skewed toward a particular outcome. (Page 170)
Conference
The conference report (H.Rept. 111-288 of October 7, 2009) on H.R. 2647/P.L. 111-84 of October
28, 2009, states:
Repeal of policy relating to the major combatant vessels of the Unites States Navy
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The Senate amendment contained a provision (sec. 1012) that would repeal section 1012 of
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110–181). Section
1012, as amended, would require that all new classes of surface combatants and all new
amphibious assault ships larger than 15,000 deadweight ton light ship displacement have
integrated nuclear power systems, unless the Secretary of Defense determines that the
inclusion of an integrated nuclear power system in such vessel is not in the national interest.
The House bill contained no similar provision.
The Senate recedes. (Page 822)
The report also states:
Study on thorium-liquid fueled reactors for Naval forces
The House bill contained a provision (sec. 246) that would have directed the Secretary of
Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to carry out jointly a study on the use
of thorium-liquid fueled nuclear reactors for naval propulsion.
The Senate amendment contained no similar provision.
The House recedes.
The conferees note that while there may be credible research initiatives to explore the use of
molten salt reactors for commercial power generation, the use of molten salt reactors on
naval vessels is not currently technically feasible and a requirement to perform a study on the
use of molten salt reactors is premature. This is due to technology challenges with material
construction (molten salt reactors are inherently corrosive to metals), storage of the liquid
fuel, and radiation shielding for the crew from a non-solid fuel reactor. The conferees
recommend that the Navy continue to monitor the progress of technology development in
commercial application of molten salt reactors, including licensing, for potential future
application. (Page 708)
FY2009 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5658/P.L. 110-417)
House
The House-reported version of H.R. 5658 contained a provision (Section 1013) that would amend
Section 1012 of the FY2008 defense authorization act (see discussion below) to include
amphibious ships and amphibious command ships of a certain minimum size as among the types
of ships to be built in the future with nuclear power unless the Secretary of Defense notifies
Congress that nuclear power for a given class of ship would not be in the national interest.
Section 1013 stated:
SEC. 1013. POLICY RELATING TO MAJOR COMBATANT VESSELS OF THE
STRIKE FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.
Section 1012(c)(1) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (P.L.
110-181) is amended by adding at the end the following:
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‘(D) Amphibious assault ships, including dock landing ships (LSD), amphibious transport-
dock ships (LPD), helicopter assault ships (LHA/LHD), and amphibious command ships
(LCC), if such vessels exceed 15,000 dead weight ton light ship displacement.’39
In its report (H.Rept. 110-652 of May 16, 2008) on H.R. 5658, the House Armed Services
Committee stated:
This section would amend section 1012 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2008 (P.L. 110-181) by requiring that in addition to future ship classes of aircraft
carriers, major surface combatants, and submarines, that assault echelon amphibious ships
also must be constructed with integrated nuclear power systems if the ship’s light weight
displacement is greater than 15 thousand tons.40
The committee believes the future naval force should not be reliant on the availability of
fossil fuel for fleet operations. Removing the need for access to fossil fuel sources
significantly multiplies the effectiveness of the entire battle force and eliminates the
dependence on foreign nation support of deployed naval forces. (Pages 428-429)
Senate
The report of the Senate Armed Services Committee (S.Rept. 110-335 of May 12, 2008) on the
FY2009 defense authorization bill (S. 3001) stated, with regard to the CG(X) cruiser, that:
The John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (P.L. 109-364)
required that the Navy include nuclear power in its Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) for the
CG(X) propulsion system.
Section 1012 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (P.L. 110-181)
further requires that CG(X) be nuclear powered, unless the Secretary of Defense submits a
notification that inclusion of an integrated nuclear power system is not in the national
interest. The statement of managers accompanying that act directed the Secretary of the
Navy to submit a report with the budget request for fiscal year 2009 providing information
regarding CG(X) design, cost, schedule, industrial base considerations, and risk assessment;
that would reflect the results of the CG(X) AoA and provide evidence that the Navy is on
schedule for procuring the first ship of the class in 2011.
The Secretary of the Navy has delayed submission of the CG(X) report because the CG(X)
AoA, which was scheduled to be complete by third quarter fiscal year 2007, remains under
review by the Navy. Fundamental considerations regarding the cruiser’s requirements,
characteristics, technology readiness levels, and affordability continue to be studied, making
it likely that milestone A, which was targeted for September 2007, will slip into 2009. By all
measures, there is no reasonable path for the next-generation cruiser to meet the current
schedule for milestone B and award of a ship construction contract in 2011.
39 The sizes of commercial ships are often expressed in deadweight tons, while the sizes of Navy combatant ships are
usually expressed in terms of full load or light ship displacement. The terms deadweight tons and light ship
displacement are not normally joined together to form a single expression of a ship’s size. When joined together, the
two terms can be viewed as being in tension with one another, since the first refers to the weight of a ship’s cargo, fuel,
water, stores, and other loads, while the second refers to the weight of a ship without these loads.
40 This report language, which refers to light weight displacement but not to deadweight tons, suggests that the
inclusion of the words “dead weight ton” in the Section 1013 might be a printing error.
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Pending completion of the AoA, determination of radar requirements, ship characteristics,
propulsion system, and an executable program schedule, and in view of the delay to program
major milestones, the activities planned for fiscal years 2008 and 2009 cannot be executed
per the schedule reflected in the fiscal year 2009 budget request. Therefore, the committee
recommends a decrease [in the Navy’s request for FY2009 research and development
funding] of $87.2 million in PE 64300N and a decrease of $33.6 million in PE 64501N.
These recommended decreases would maintain the cruiser development activities at the same
level as was funded in fiscal year 2008. (Page 195)
Compromise
In lieu of a conference report, there was a compromise version of S. 3001 that was accompanied
by a joint explanatory statement. Section 4 of S. 3001 states that the joint explanatory statement
“shall have the same effect with respect to the implementation of this Act as if it were a joint
explanatory statement of a committee of conference.” S. 3001 was signed into law as P.L. 110-
417 on October 14, 2008.
Section 1015 of S. 3001/P.L. 110-417 amended Section 1012 of the FY2008 defense
authorization act (see discussion below) to include amphibious ships and amphibious command
ships of a certain minimum size as among the types of ships to be built in the future with nuclear
power unless the Secretary of Defense notifies Congress that nuclear power for a given class of
ship would not be in the national interest. Section 1015 states:
SEC. 1015. POLICY RELATING TO MAJOR COMBATANT VESSELS OF THE
STRIKE FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.
Section 1012(c)(1) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (P.L.
110-181) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(D) Amphibious assault ships, including dock landing ships (LSD), amphibious trans port—
dock ships (LPD), helicopter assault ships (LHA/LHD), and amphibious command ships
(LCC), if such vessels exceed 15,000 dead weight ton light ship displacement.”41
FY2008 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4986/P.L. 110-181)
House
The House-reported version of the FY2008 defense authorization bill (originally H.R. 1585, a bill
that was succeeded by H.R. 4986 following a presidential veto of H.R. 1585) contained a
provision (Section 1012) that would make it U.S. policy to build submarines, aircraft carriers,
cruisers, and other large surface combatants with nuclear power unless the Secretary of Defense
notifies Congress that nuclear power for a given class of ship would not be in the national
interest. The provision stated:
SEC. 1012. POLICY RELATING TO MAJOR COMBATANT VESSELS OF THE
STRIKE FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.
41 The inclusion of the words “dead weight ton” in this section might be a printing error; see the previous two footnotes
for a discussion.
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(a) Integrated Nuclear Power Systems- It is the policy of the United States to construct the
major combatant vessels of the strike forces of the United States Navy, including all new
classes of such vessels, with integrated nuclear power systems.
(b) Requirement to Request Nuclear Vessels- If a request is submitted to Congress in the
budget for a fiscal year for construction of a new class of major combatant vessel for the
strike forces of the United States, the request shall be for such a vessel with an integrated
nuclear power system, unless the Secretary of Defense submits with the request a notification
to Congress that the inclusion of an integrated nuclear power system in such vessel is not in
the national interest.
(c) Definitions- In this section:
(1) MAJOR COMBATANT VESSELS OF THE STRIKE FORCES OF THE UNITED
STATES NAVY- The term `major combatant vessels of the strike forces of the United States
Navy’ means the following:
(A) Submarines.
(B) Aircraft carriers.
(C) Cruisers, battleships, or other large surface combatants whose primary mission includes
protection of carrier strike groups, expeditionary strike groups, and vessels comprising a sea
base.
(2) INTEGRATED NUCLEAR POWER SYSTEM- The term `integrated nuclear power
system’ means a ship engineering system that uses a naval nuclear reactor as its energy
source and generates sufficient electric energy to provide power to the ship’s electrical loads,
including its combat systems and propulsion motors.
(3) BUDGET- The term `budget’ means the budget that is submitted to Congress by the
President under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code.
The House Armed Services Committee, in its report (H.Rept. 110-146 of May 11, 2007) on H.R.
1585, stated the following in regard to Section 1012:
This section would require that all new ship classes of submarines, cruisers, and aircraft
carriers be built with nuclear power systems unless the Secretary of Defense notifies the
committee that it is not in the national interest to do so.
The committee believes that the mobility, endurance, and electric power generation
capability of nuclear powered warships is essential to the next generation of Navy cruisers.
The Navy’s report to Congress on alternative propulsion methods for surface combatants and
amphibious warfare ships, required by section 130 of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (P.L. 109-163), indicated that the total lifecycle cost for medium-
sized nuclear surface combatants is equivalent to conventionally powered ships. The
committee notes that this study only compared acquisition and maintenance costs and did not
analyze the increased speed and endurance capability of nuclear powered vessels.
The committee believes that the primary escort vessels for the Navy’s fleet of aircraft
carriers should have the same speed and endurance capability as the aircraft carrier. The
committee also notes that surface combatants with nuclear propulsion systems would be
more capable during independent operations because there would be no need for underway
fuel replenishment. (Page 387)
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Senate
The Senate-reported version of the FY2008 defense authorization bill (S. 1547) did not contain a
provision analogous to Section 1012 of the House-reported version of H.R. 1585. The report of
the Senate Armed Services Committee on S. 1547 (S.Rept. 110-77 of June 5, 2007) did not
comment directly on the issue of nuclear power for Navy ships other than submarines and aircraft
carriers.
Conference
Section 1012 of the conference report (H.Rept. 110-477 of December 6, 2007) on H.R. 1585 is
the same as Section 1012 of the House-reported version of H.R. 1585 (see discussion above). In
discussing Section 1012, the conference report stated:
The Navy’s next opportunity to apply this guidance will be the next generation cruiser, or
“CG(X)”. Under the current future-years defense program (FYDP), the Navy plans to award
the construction contract for CG(X) in fiscal year 2011. Under this provision, the next cruiser
would be identified as “CGN(X)” to designate the ship as nuclear powered. Under the
Navy’s normal shipbuilding schedule for the two programs that already have nuclear power
systems (aircraft carriers and submarines), the Navy seeks authorization and appropriations
for long lead time nuclear components for ships 2 years prior to full authorization and
appropriation for construction.
The conferees recognize that the milestone decision for the Navy’s CG(X) is only months
away. After that milestone decision, the Navy and its contractors will begin a significant
design effort, and, in that process, will be making significant tradeoff decisions and
discarding major options (such as propulsion alternatives). This is the normal process for the
Navy and the Department of Defense (DOD) to make choices that will lead to producing a
contract design that will be the basis for awarding the construction contract for the lead ship
in 2011.
In order for the Navy to live by the spirit of this guidance, the conferees agree that:
(1) the Navy would be required to proceed through the contract design phase of the program
with a comprehensive effort to design a CGN(X) independent of the outcome of decisions
that the Navy or the DOD will make at the next milestone decision point regarding any
preferred propulsion system for the next generation cruiser;
(2) if the Navy intends to maintain the schedule in the current FYDP and award a vessel in
fiscal year 2011, the Navy would need to request advance procurement for nuclear
components in the fiscal year 2009 budget request; and
(3) the Navy must consider options for:
(a) maintaining the segment of the industrial base that currently produces the conventionally
powered destroyer and amphibious forces of the Navy;
(b) certifying yards which comprise that segment of the industrial base to build nuclear-
powered vessels; or
(c) seeking other alternatives for building non-nuclear ships in the future if the Navy is only
building nuclear-powered surface combatant ships for some period of time as it builds
CGN(X) vessels; and
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(d) identifying sources of funds to pay for the additional near-term costs of the integrated
nuclear power system, either from offsets within the Navy’s budget, from elsewhere within
the Department’s resources, or from gaining additional funds for DOD overall.
The conferees recognize that these considerations will require significant additional near-
term investment by the Navy. Some in the Navy have asserted that, despite such added
investment, the Navy would not be ready to award a shipbuilding contract for a CGN(X) in
fiscal year 2011 as in the current FYDP.
Section 128 of the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007
(Public Law 109—364) required that the Navy include nuclear power in its Analysis of
Alternatives (AOA) for the CG(X) propulsion system. The conferees are aware that the
CG(X) AOA is nearing completion, in which case the Navy should have some indications of
what it will require to design and construct a CGN(X) class.
Accordingly, the conferees direct the Secretary of the Navy to submit a report to the
congressional defense committees with the budget request for fiscal year 2009 providing the
following information:
(1) the set of next generation cruiser characteristics, such as displacement and manning,
which would be affected by the requirement for including an integrated nuclear power
system;
(2) the Navy’s estimate for additional costs to develop, design, and construct a CGN(X) to
fill the requirement for the next generation cruiser, and the optimal phasing of those costs in
order to deliver CGN(X) most affordably;
(3) the Navy’s assessment of any effects on the delivery schedule for the first ship of the next
generation cruiser class that would be associated with shifting the design to incorporate an
integrated nuclear propulsion system, options for reducing or eliminating those schedule
effects, and alternatives for meeting next generation cruiser requirements during any
intervening period if the cruiser’s full operational capability were delayed;
(4) the Navy’s estimate for the cost associated with certifying those shipyards that currently
produce conventionally powered surface combatants, to be capable of constructing and
integrating a nuclear-powered combatant;
(5) any other potential effects on the Navy’s 30-year shipbuilding plan as a result of
implementing these factors;
(6) such other considerations that would need to be addressed in parallel with design and
construction of a CGN(X) class, including any unique test and training facilities, facilities
and infrastructure requirements for potential CGN(X) homeports, and environmental
assessments that may require long-term coordination and planning; and
(7) an assessment of the highest risk areas associated with meeting this requirement, and the
Navy’s alternatives for mitigating such risk. (Pages 984-986)
H.R. 1585 was vetoed by the President on December 28, 2007. In response, Congress passed a
modified bill, H.R. 4986, that took into account the President’s objections to H.R. 1585. The
modifications incorporated into H.R. 4986 did not affect the provisions discussed here, and for
these and other unmodified parts of the bill, H.Rept. 110-477 in effect serves as the conference
report for H.R. 4986. H.R. 4986 was signed into law as P.L. 110-181 on January 28, 2008.
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Section 1012 of the conference report is similar in some respects to the so-called Title VIII
legislation of the 1970s that required future Navy ships of certain kinds to be nuclear-powered.42
FY2006 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1815/P.L. 109-163)
Section 130 of the conference report (H.Rept. 109-360 of December 18, 2005) on the FY2006
defense authorization act (H.R. 1815/P.L. 109-163 of January 6, 2006) required the Navy to
submit a report by November 1, 2006, on alternative propulsion methods for surface combatants
and amphibious warfare ships. The Navy submitted the report to Congress in January 2007.
Section 130 states:
SEC. 130. REPORT ON ALTERNATIVE PROPULSION METHODS FOR SURFACE
COMBATANTS AND AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE SHIPS.
(a) ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES.—The Secretary of the Navy shall conduct an
analysis of alternative propulsion methods for surface combatant vessels and amphibious
warfare ships of the Navy.
(b) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report
on the analysis of alternative propulsion systems carried out under subsection (a). The report
shall be submitted not later than November 1, 2006.
(c) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report under subsection (b) shall include the
following:
(1) The key assumptions used in carrying out the analysis under subsection (a).
(2) The methodology and techniques used in conducting the analysis.
42 The Title VIII legislation comprised Sections 801-804 of the FY1975 defense authorization act (H.R. 14592/P.L. 93-
365, August 5, 1974, 88 Stat. 408-409). The legislation was codified at 10 USC 7291. Section 801 made it U.S. policy
“to modernize the strike forces of the United States Navy by the construction of nuclear-powered major combatant
vessels and to provide for an adequate industrial base for the research, development, design, construction, operation,
and maintenance for such vessels.” Section 801 also stated: “New construction major combatant vessels for the strike
forces of the United States Navy authorized subsequent to the date of enactment of this Act becomes law [sic] shall be
nuclear powered, except as provided in this title.” Section 802 defined the term “major combatant vessels for the strike
forces of the United States Navy.” Section 803 required the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress each
year, along with the annual budget request, on the application of nuclear power to such ships. Section 804 stated that
“All requests for authorizations or appropriations from Congress” for such ships shall be for construction of nuclear-
powered versions of such ships “unless and until the President has fully advised the Congress that construction of
nuclear powered vessels for such purpose is not in the national interest,” in which case the President is to provide, for
Congress’ consideration, an alternate program of nuclear-powered ships, with appropriate design, cost, and schedule
information.
Title VIII was repealed by Section 810 of the FY1979 defense authorization act (S. 3486/P.L. 95-485, October 20,
1978, 92 Stat. 1623). Section 810 of that act replaced the Title VIII legislation with a policy statement on Navy
shipbuilding policy that did not mandate the use of nuclear power for any Navy ships. Section 810, like the Title VIII
legislation, was codified at 10 USC 7291. It was subsequently recodified at 10 USC 7310, pursuant to a law (H.R.
4623/P.L. 97-295 of October 12, 1982) that amended titles 10, 14, 37, and 38 to codify recent law. 10 USC 7310 was
then repealed by Section 824(a)(8) of the FY1994 defense authorization act (H.R. 2401/P.L. 103-160 of November 30,
1993).
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(3) A description of current and future technology relating to propulsion that has been
incorporated in recently-designed surface combatant vessels and amphibious warfare ships or
that is expected to be available for those types of vessels within the next 10-to-20 years.
(4) A description of each propulsion alternative for surface combatant vessels and
amphibious warfare ships that was considered under the study and an analysis and evaluation
of each such alternative from an operational and cost-effectiveness standpoint.
(5) A comparison of the life-cycle costs of each propulsion alternative.
(6) For each nuclear propulsion alternative, an analysis of when that nuclear propulsion
alternative becomes cost effective as the price of a barrel of crude oil increases for each type
of ship.
(7) The conclusions and recommendations of the study, including those conclusions and
recommendations that could impact the design of future ships or lead to modifications of
existing ships.
(8) The Secretary’s intended actions, if any, for implementation of the conclusions and
recommendations of the study.
(d) LIFE-CYCLE COSTS.—For purposes of this section, the term “life-cycle costs” includes
those elements of cost that would be considered for a life-cycle cost analysis for a major
defense acquisition program.
Author Contact Information
Ronald O'Rourke
Specialist in Naval Affairs
rorourke@crs.loc.gov, 7-7610
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