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Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
armed with anti-ship cruise missiles and other weapons
The Navy’s Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS)
would hop on and off islands in the Western Pacific to
program envisages procuring a new class of medium-sized
conduct “shoot-and-scoot” operations against adversary
at-sea resupply ships for the Navy. The Navy’s proposed
ships. For more on DMO, EABO, and the Navy’s more
FY2021 budget requested $30.0 million in research and
distributed fleet architecture, see CRS Report RL32665,
development (R&D) funding for the program. The issue for
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background
Congress is whether to approve, reject, or modify the
and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke, and CRS
Navy’s proposed funding requests and emerging acquisition
Report R46374, Navy Light Amphibious Warship (LAW)
strategy for the NGLS program. Congress’s decisions on
Program: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald
this issue could affect Navy capabilities and funding
O'Rourke.
requirements, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.
Logistics Ships Currently Being Procured
Terminology
The Navy is currently procuring new John Lewis (TAO-
The Navy’s Combat Logistics Force (CLF) ships, also
205) class oilers (Figure 1), which are large CLF ships. For
called underway replenishment (UNREP) ships, are
more on the TAO-205 program, see CRS Report R43546,
logistics ships that resupply the Navy’s combatant ships
Navy John Lewis (TAO-205) Class Oiler Shipbuilding
(e.g., aircraft carries, surface combatants, and amphibious
Program: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald
ships) at sea, so that the combatant ships can continue
O'Rourke.
operating without having to return to port. The Navy’s
current CLF ships include oilers (TAOs), dry cargo and
Figure 1. John Lewis (TAO-205) Class Oiler
ammunition ships (TAKEs), and fast combat support ships
Artist’s rendering
(TAOEs). In these designations, T means the ship is
operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) with a
mostly civilian crew, A means auxiliary ship, O means
oiler, K means cargo, and E means ammunition (i.e.,
explosives). These CLF ships are large auxiliary ships.
Anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capabilities aim to create a
defended area around a country that in time of conflict
would be a “no
Source: General Dynamics/National Steel and Shipbuilding Company
-go zone” for opposing military forces.
(GD/NASSCO) of San Diego, CA, the builder of TAO-205s.
Operational concepts are general approaches for how to use
military forces for achieving certain objectives. Fleet
Next-Generation Logistics Ship
architecture refers to the types and mix of ships that make
(NGLS) Program
up a navy.
New Fleet Architecture and
Basic Concept for Ship
Operational Concepts
The NGLS program, also known as the Next-Generation
Medium Logistics Ship program, was initiated in the
To more effectively counter the improving A2/AD
Navy’s FY2021 budget submission. The program envisages
capabilities of China in particular, the Navy wants to begin
building a new class of CLF ships that would be smaller
shifting to a new, more distributed fleet architecture that is
and individually less expensive to procure than the Navy’s
to include a reduced proportion of larger ships and an
current CLF ships. NGLSs might be built in two variants to
increased proportion of smaller ships. This more distributed
perform specific missions. Like the Navy’s current CLF
fleet architecture is intended to support a new Navy and
ships, NGLSs would be operated by MSC with mostly
Marine Corps operational concept for countering adversary
civilian crews. The Navy states that
A2/AD forces, called Distributed Maritime Operations
(DMO), and an associated new Marine Corps operational
[t]he NGLS will enable refueling, rearming, and
concept called Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations
(EABO).
resupply of Naval assets—afloat and ashore—in
support of Distributed Maritime Operations,
DMO aims at avoiding a situation in which an adversary
Littoral Operations Contested Environment, and
could defeat U.S. naval forces by concentrating its attacks
Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations. The
on a relatively small number of large, high-value U.S. Navy
NGLS is envisioned to be smaller than existing
ships. Under EABO, relatively small Marine Corps units
ships in the Combat Logistics Force, and will
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Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
operate near contested environments, sustaining
FY2021 Funding Request
afloat (Surface Action Group) and ashore
As mentioned earlier, the Navy’s proposed FY2021 budget
(Expeditionary Advanced Base) requirements. The
requested $30.0 million in R&D funding for the program.
Navy believes that there are several types of
Most of this funding was requested for initial industry and
commercial vessels that may be able to perform
Navy studies on the ship. The funding was requested in
these missions (including, but not limited to:
Project 4045, Next Generation Medium Logistics Ship,
Platform Supply Vessels, Fast Supply Vessels, or
within Program Element (PE) 0603563N, Ship Concept
other types of Offshore Support Vessels). The Navy
Advanced Design, which was line 45 in the Navy’s FY2021
is considering conversion of existing vessels, new
research and development account.
construction, or a combination of conversions and
Legislative Activity for FY2021
new construction in order to acquire the required
number of Next Generation Logistics Ships.
FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act
(Source: Department of the Navy, Naval Sea
The House Armed Services Committee, in its report
Systems Command [NAVSEA], “Industry Day
(H.Rept. 116-442 of July 9, 2020) on the FY2021 National
Announcement for the Next Generation Logistics
Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 6395), recommended
Ship (NGLS),” Beta.sam.gov, May 15 [updated
approving the Navy’s FY2021 funding request for the
July 20], 2020.)
NGLS program (page 392).
There are various types of Platform Supply Vessels, Fast
The Senate Armed Services Committee, in its report
Supply Vessels, and other Offshore Support Vessels, but in
(S.Rept. 116-236 of June 24, 2020) on the FY2021 National
general, such ships can be considerably smaller (and
Defense Authorization Act (S. 4049), stated that it “lacks
therefore individually less expensive to procure) than the
sufficient clarity on the capability requirements to support”
Navy’s current CLF ships.
design efforts for certain new ships, including NGLS (pages
98-99), and recommended rejecting the Navy’s FY2021
Industry Day
request for the program (page 505).
The Navy held an industry day for the NGLS program on
June 25, 2020, the purpose of which was to introduce the
The conference report (H.Rept. 116-617 of December 3,
program to potential industry participants and give them a
2020) on H.R. 6395/P.L. 116-283 of January 1, 2021,
chance to ask initial questions about the program. Attendees
recommended reducing by $10.0 million the Navy’s
included representatives from shipyards, ship-design firms,
FY2021 funding request for the program (PDF page 4324
and component suppliers.
of 4517).
Potential Procurement Quantity
FY2021 DOD Appropriations Act
The Navy has not yet determined how many NGLSs it
The House Appropriations Committee, in its report
wants to procure. Press reports about the Navy’s new fleet
(H.Rept. 116-453 of July 16, 2020) on the FY2021
architecture have suggested that the Navy might want to
Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations Act (H.R.
procure between 18 and 30.
7617), recommended reducing by $10.0 million the Navy’s
FY2021 funding request for the program (page 266).
Potential Procurement Cost
Section 8129 of H.R. 7617 as reported by the committee
The procurement cost for an NGLS is to be substantially
states that none of the funds provided in the act for initial
less than that of the TAO-205 design, which is about $650
acquisition activities for certain new Navy ships, including
million per ship. A December 9, 2020, shipbuilding
NGLS, “may be used to award a new contract for such
document submitted by the outgoing Trump Administration
activities unless these contracts include specifications that
showed an NGLS procurement cost of $150 million per
all hull, mechanical, and electrical components are
ship.
manufactured in the United States.”
Program Schedule
The Senate Appropriations Committee, in the explanatory
The Navy reportedly plans to release a request for proposals
statement that it released on November 10, 2020, for the
(RFP) for industry studies on the NGLS in the first quarter
FY2021 DOD Appropriations Act (S. XXXX),
of calendar 2021. The studies are to help inform the Navy’s
recommended approving the Navy’s FY2021 funding
process for setting performance requirements for the NGLS.
request for the program (page 186).
Under a schedule shown in the Navy’s industry day
The explanatory statement for the final version of the
briefing, contracts for the studies would be awarded in the
FY2021 DOD Appropriations Act (Division C of H.R.
third quarter of FY2021, and the contract for designing and
133/P.L. 116-260 of December 27, 2020, the Consolidated
constructing or converting the first NGLS would be
Appropriations Act, 2021) reduced by $6.0 million the
awarded in the second quarter of FY2023. The December 9,
Navy’s FY2021 funding request for the program, with the
2020, shipbuilding document submitted by the outgoing
reduction for “excess to need” (PDF page 311 of 469).
Trump Administration showed the first six NGLs being
procured in FY2023-FY2026 in annual quantities of 1-1-2-
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
2.
IF11674
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Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
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