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Updated January 12, 2021
Navy Future Large Surface Combatant (LSC) (DDG Next)
Program: Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
an integrated collection of sensors and weapons named for
The Navy’s Future Large Surface Combatant (LSC)
the mythical shield that defended Zeus. The first five ships
program, also known as the DDG Next program, envisages
in the class, which were built to an earlier technical
procuring a class of next-generation guided-missile
standard, were judged by the Navy to be too expensive to
destroyers (DDGs) to replace the Navy’s aging
modernize and were removed from service in 2004-2005,
Ticonderoga (CG-47) class Aegis cruisers. The Navy wants
leaving the current force of 22 ships. The Navy’s FY2020
to procure the first Future LSC around FY2028, although
30-year shipbuilding plan projected that these 22 ships
that date could change. The Navy’s proposed FY2021
would reach the ends of their service lives and be retired
budget requests $46.5 million in research and development
between FY2021 and FY2038.
(R&D) funding for the program in one R&D line item and
some additional funding for the program in another R&D
Figure 1. Existing CG-47 Class Aegis Cruiser
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
Future 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 envisages the Future LSC as a ship with a new
the Navy’s cruisers. In part for this reason, the Navy now
hull design and, initially, combat system equipment similar
refers to its cruisers and destroyers collectively as large
to that installed on the Flight III version of the Arleigh
surface combatants (LSCs), and distinguishes these ships
Burke (DDG-51) class destroyer—a type of ship that the
from the Navy’s small surface combatants (SSCs), the term
Navy is currently procuring. (For more on the DDG-51
the Navy now uses to refer collectively to its frigates,
program, see CRS Report RL32109, Navy DDG-51 and
Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs), mine warfare ships, and
DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues
patrol craft.
for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.)
Surface Combatant Industrial Base
Navy officials have stated that they envision the Future
All LSCs procured for the Navy since FY1985 have been
LSC as being larger than the DDG-51 Flight III design,
built at General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works (GD/BIW) of
which has a full load displacement of about 9,700 tons, but
Bath, ME, and Huntington Ingalls Industries/Ingalls
smaller than the Navy’s DDG-1000 class destroyers, which
Shipbuilding (HII/Ingalls) of Pascagoula, MS. Lockheed
have a full load displacement of about 15,700 tons. The
Martin and Raytheon are major contractors for Navy
mid-point between those two figures is 12,700 tons, though
surface ship combat system equipment. The surface
the Future LSC could have a displacement higher or lower
combatant base also includes hundreds of additional
than that. The Navy states that the Future LSC would
component and material supplier firms.
initially integrate nondevelopmental systems into a
Existing CG-47 Class Aegis Cruisers
new hull design that incorporates platform
The Navy procured a total of 27 Ticonderoga (CG-47) class
flexibility and growth capabilities to meet projected
cruisers (one of which is shown in Figure 1) between
future fleet system requirements. Initial LSCs will
FY1978 and FY1988. The ships entered service between
leverage DDG 51 Flight III combat systems as well
1983 and 1994. They are commonly called Aegis cruisers
as
increased
flexibility/adaptability
features
because they are equipped with the Aegis combat system,
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Navy Future Large Surface Combatant (LSC) (DDG Next) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
including expanded Space, Weight, Power &
FY2021 Program Funding
Cooling, Service Life Allowances (SWaP-C SLA)
The Navy’s proposed FY2021 budget requests $46.5
to allow for more rapid and affordable upgrades in
million in R&D funding for the Future LSC program in
capabilities over the ships’ service life and allow for
Project 0411, Future Surface Combatant Concept, within
fielding of future high-demand electric weapons
Program Element (PE) 0603564N, Ship Preliminary Design
and sensor systems and computing resources.
& Feasibility Studies, which is line 46 in the Navy’s
FY2021 R&D account. Additional funding supporting the
(Source: Department of Defense Fiscal Year (FY)
Future LSC program is in Project 2196, Design, Tools,
2021 Budget Estimates, Navy, Justification Book,
Plans and Concepts, within PE 0603563N, Ship Concept
Volume 2 of 5, Research, Development, Test &
Advanced Design, which is line 45.
Evaluation, Navy, February 2020, p. 518; includes
some minor typographic edits by CRS.)
Congressional Action for FY2021
Procurement Date for Lead Ship
FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act
As mentioned earlier, the Navy wants to procure the first
The conference report (H.Rept. 116-617 of December XX,
Future LSC around FY2028, though the date for procuring
2020) on the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act
the first ship has changed before and could change again.
(H.R. 6395/P.L. 116-283 of January 1, 2021) recommends
Procurement of DDG-51 Flight III destroyers would end at
reducing by $33.3 million the Navy’s FY2021 funding
about the time that procurement of Future LSCs would
request for the program in Project 0411. Section 121(b) of
begin. The Navy’s FY2021 budget submission suggests that
the conference version of H.R. 6395 requires a report on,
the final DDG-51 Flight III ship would be procured around
among other things, a plan to fully implement Section 131
FY2027.
of the FY2020 NDAA (S. 1790/P.L. 116-92 of December
20, 2020), including subsystem prototyping efforts and
Potential Procurement Quantities
funding by fiscal year.
The Navy has not specified the total number of Future
LSCs that it wants to procure. Procuring a total of 8 to 11
FY2021 DOD Appropriations Act
would provide one Future LSC for each of the 8 to 11 large
The explanatory statement for the FY2021 DOD
aircraft carriers that the Navy reportedly would aim to have
Appropriations Act (Division C of H.R. 133/P.L. 116-260
in the future. (For more on the Battle Force 2045 plan, see
of December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations
CRS Report RL32665, Navy Force Structure and
Act, 2021) reduces by $33.3 million the Navy’s FY2021
Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress,
funding requests for the program (PDF page 311 of 469).
by Ronald O'Rourke.) Procuring a total of 22 would
The explanatory statement states
provide one-for-one replacements for each of the current 22
Despite repeated delays to the LSC program, the
Aegis cruisers. Keeping the design in production so as to
additionally replace at least some of the Navy’s
Navy has reduced the acquisition profile for DDG-
older DDG-
51s as those ships start to retire in the 2030s could result in
51 Flight III destroyers in recent budget
a larger total procurement quantity. Numbers such as these,
submissions, and has not delineated a clear
as well as the Navy’s FY2020 30-year shipbuilding plan,
acquisition path for large surface combatants
suggest a potential Future LSC annual procurement rate of
following the conclusion of the current DDG-51
one to two ships per year.
Flight III destroyer multi-year procurement contract
in fiscal year 2022. Absent a clear understanding of
Potential Unit Procurement Cost
future Navy LSC force structure requirements and
Ships of the same general type tend to have unit
acquisition strategies, the proposed increase in
procurement costs roughly proportional to their
funding for LSC, to include $17,100,000 in
displacements. A Future LSC displacing about 12,700 tons
preliminary design efforts, is not supported.
would have a displacement roughly 30% greater than that
of the DDG-51 Flight III design. The DDG-51 Flight III
Further, it is noted that information provided by the
design currently has a unit procurement cost of about $1.9
Navy in response to S.Rept. 116-103 regarding the
billion. Increasing that figure by 30% would suggest a
Navy’s Surface Capability Evolution Plan (SCEP)
potential Future LSC unit procurement cost of roughly $2.5
was incomplete. The Assistant Secretary of the
billion in today’s dollars, though the cost could be initially
Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) is
higher because the first several Future LSCs would be at the
directed to provide to the congressional defense
top of the Future LSC production learning curve, whereas at
committees, with the fiscal year 2022 President’s
least some aspects of the DDG-51 Flight III design have
budget request, the updated acquisition strategies
been in production for many years and are thus well down
for each element of the Navy’s SCEP, as previously
the production learning curve. The first Future LSC,
requested, and the Assistant Secretary of the Navy
moreover, would be considerably more expensive than
(Financial Management and Comptroller) is
follow-on ships in the program, because its procurement
directed to provide, with the fiscal year 2022
cost would incorporate the detailed design and nonrecurring
President’s budget request, updated cost estimates
engineering (DD/NRE) costs for the class.
for each element of the SCEP, and to certify full
funding in the budget request for each respective
acquisition strategy of the SCEP elements (PDF
pages 322-323 of 469).
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Navy Future Large Surface Combatant (LSC) (DDG Next) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
IF11679
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
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