Updated December 22, 2020
Navy Large Surface Combatant (LSC) Program: Background
and Issues for Congress
Introduction
in the class, which were built to an earlier technical
The Navy’s Large Surface Combatant (LSC) program
standard, were judged by the Navy to be too expensive to
envisages procuring a class of next-generation cruisers or
modernize and were removed from service in 2004-2005,
destroyers to replace the Navy’s aging Ticonderoga (CG-
leaving the current force of 22 ships. The Navy’s FY2020
47) class Aegis cruisers. The Navy wants to procure the
30-year shipbuilding plan projected that these 22 ships
first LSC around FY2028, although that date could change.
would reach the ends of their service lives and be retired
The Navy’s proposed FY2021 budget requests $46.5
between FY2021 and FY2038.
million in research and development (R&D) funding for the
LSC program in one R&D line item and some additional
Figure 1. Existing CG-47 Class Aegis Cruiser
funding for the program in another R&D line item.
USS Antietam (CG-54), commissioned in 1987
The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or
modify the Navy’s FY2021 funding request and emerging
acquisition strategy for the program. Congress’s decisions
on this issue could affect future Navy capabilities and
funding requirements and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial
base.
Terminology
Decades ago, the Navy’s cruisers were considerably larger
and more capable than its destroyers. In the years after
World War II, however, the Navy’s cruiser designs in

Source: Cropped version of U.S. Navy photograph.
general became smaller while its destroyer designs in

general became larger. As a result, since the 1980s there has
LSC Program
been substantial overlap in size and capability of Navy
cruisers and destroyers. The Navy’s new Zumwalt (DDG-
Navy’s General Concept for the Ship
1000) class destroyers, in fact, are considerably larger than
the Navy’s cruisers. In part for this reason, the Navy now
Navy officials have spoken on and off for years about a
new ship to replace the aging Aegis cruisers. The Navy’s
refers to its cruisers and destroyers collectively as large
surface combatants (LSCs), and distinguishes these ships
concept for the new ship has evolved over that time. The
from the Navy’s small surface combatants (SSCs), the term
Navy currently envisages the LSC as a ship with a new hull
the Navy now uses to refer collectively to its frigates,
design that would initially be equipped with combat system
Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs), mine warfare ships, and
equipment similar to that installed on the Flight III version
patrol craft.
of the Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class destroyer—a type of
ship that the Navy is currently procuring. (For more on the
Surface Combatant Industrial Base
DDG-51 program, see CRS Report RL32109, Navy DDG-
All LSCs procured for the Navy since FY1985 have been
51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and
built at General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works (GD/BIW) of
Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.)
Bath, ME, and Huntington Ingalls Industries/Ingalls
Shipbuilding (HII/Ingalls) of Pascagoula, MS. Lockheed
Navy officials have stated that they envision the LSC as
Martin and Raytheon are major contractors for Navy
being larger than the DDG-51 Flight III design, which has a
surface ship combat system equipment. The surface
full load displacement of about 9,700 tons, but smaller than
the Navy’s DDG
combatant base also includes hundreds of additional
-1000 class destroyers, which have a full
component and material supplier firms.
load displacement of about 15,700 tons. The mid-point
between those two figures is 12,700 tons, though the LSC
Existing CG-47 Class Aegis Cruisers
as designed could have a displacement higher or lower than
The Navy procured a total of 27 Ticonderoga (CG-47) class
that. The Navy states that the LSC would
cruisers (one of which is shown in Figure 1) between
initially integrate nondevelopmental systems into a
FY1978 and FY1988. The ships entered service between
new hull design that incorporates platform
1983 and 1994. They are commonly called Aegis cruisers
flexibility and growth capabilities to meet projected
because they are equipped with the Aegis combat system,
future fleet system requirements. Initial LSCs will
an integrated collection of sensors and weapons named for
leverage DDG 51 Flight III combat systems as well
the mythical shield that defended Zeus. The first five ships
https://crsreports.congress.gov

---

Navy Large Surface Combatant (LSC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
as
increased
flexibility/adaptability
features
0411, Future Surface Combatant Concept, within Program
including expanded Space, Weight, Power &
Element (PE) 0603564N, Ship Preliminary Design &
Cooling, Service Life Allowances (SWaP-C SLA)
Feasibility Studies, which is line 46 in the Navy’s FY2021
to allow for more rapid and affordable upgrades in
R&D account. Additional funding supporting the LSC
capabilities over the ships’ service life and allow for
program is in Project 2196, Design, Tools, Plans and
fielding of future high-demand electric weapons
Concepts, within PE 0603563N, Ship Concept Advanced
and sensor systems and computing resources.
Design, which is line 45.
(Source: Department of Defense Fiscal Year (FY)
Congressional Action for FY2021
2021 Budget Estimates, Navy, Justification Book,
Volume 2 of 5, Research, Development, Test &
FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act
Evaluation, Navy, February 2020, p. 518; includes
The conference report (H.Rept. 116-617 of December XX,
some minor typographic edits by CRS.)
2020) on the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act
(H.R. 6395) recommends reducing by $33.3 million the
Procurement Date for Lead Ship
Navy’s FY2021 funding request for the program in Project
As mentioned earlier, the Navy wants to procure the first
0411. Section 121(b) of the conference version of H.R.
LSC around FY2028, though the date for procuring the first
6395 requires a report on, among other things, a plan to
ship has changed before and could change again.
fully implement Section 131 of the FY2020 NDAA (S.
Procurement of DDG-51 Flight III destroyers would end at
1790/P.L. 116-92 of December 20, 2020), including
about the time that procurement of LSCs would begin. The
subsystem prototyping efforts and funding by fiscal year.
Navy’s FY2021 budget submission suggests that the final
DDG-51 Flight III ship would be procured around FY2027.
FY2021 DOD Appropriations Act
The explanatory statement for final version of the FY2021
Potential Procurement Quantities
DOD Appropriations Act (Division C of the final version of
The Navy has not specified the total number of LSCs that it
H.R. 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021)
wants to procure. Procuring a total of 8 to 11 would provide
reduces by $33.3 million the Navy’s FY2021 funding
1 LSC for each of the 8 to 11 large aircraft carriers that the
requests for the program (PDF page 311 of 469). The
Navy reportedly would aim to have in the future. (For more
explanatory statement states:
on the Battle Force 2045 plan, see CRS Report RL32665,
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background
Despite repeated delays to the LSC program, the
and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.) Procuring a
Navy has reduced the acquisition profile for DDG-
total of 22 would provide one-for-one replacements for
51 Flight III destroyers in recent budget
each of the current 22 Aegis cruisers. Keeping the design in
submissions, and has not delineated a clear
production so as to additionally replace at least some of the
acquisition path for large surface combatants
Navy’s older DDG-51s as those ships start to retire in the
following the conclusion of the current DDG-51
2030s could result in a larger total procurement quantity.
Flight III destroyer multi-year procurement contract
Numbers such as these, as well as the Navy’s FY2020 30-
in fiscal year 2022. Absent a clear understanding of
year shipbuilding plan, suggest a potential LSC annual
future Navy LSC force structure requirements and
procurement rate of one to two ships per year.
acquisition strategies, the proposed increase in
Potential Unit Procurement Cost
funding for LSC, to include $17,100,000 in
preliminary design efforts, is not supported.
Ships of the same general type tend to have unit
procurement costs roughly proportional to their
Further, it is noted that information provided by the
displacements. An LSC displacing about 12,700 tons would
Navy in response to Senate Report 116-103
have a displacement roughly 30% greater than that of the
regarding the Navy's Surface Capability Evolution
DDG-51 Flight III design. The DDG-51 Flight III design
Plan (SCEP) was incomplete. The Assistant
currently has a unit procurement cost of about $1.9 billion.
Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and
Increasing that figure by 30% would suggest a potential
Acquisition) is directed to provide to the
LSC unit procurement cost of roughly $2.5 billion in
congressional defense committees, with the fiscal
today’s dollars, though the cost could be initially higher
year 2022 President's budget request, the updated
because the first several LSCs would be at the top of the
acquisition strategies for each element of the Navy's
LSC production learning curve, whereas at least some
SCEP, as previously requested, and the Assistant
aspects of the DDG-51 Flight III design reflect design
Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and
features that have been in production for many years and
Comptroller) is directed to provide, with the fiscal
are thus well down the production learning curve. The first
year 2022 President's budget request, updated cost
LSC, moreover, would be considerably more expensive
than follow-on ships in the program, because its
estimates for each element of the SCEP, and to
procurement cost would incorporate the detailed design and
certify full funding in the budget request for each
nonrecurring engineering (DD/NRE) costs for the class.
respective acquisition strategy of the SCEP
elements (PDF pages 322-323 of 469).
FY2021 Program Funding
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
The Navy’s proposed FY2021 budget requests $46.5
million in R&D funding for the LSC program in Project
IF11679
https://crsreports.congress.gov

---

Navy Large Surface Combatant (LSC) Program: Background and Issues for Congress


Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11679 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED

---