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Updated June 30, 2021
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
FY2022 budget requests $27.8 million in research and
distributed fleet architecture, see CRS Report RL32665,
development 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)
ammunition ships (TAKEs), and fast combat support ships
(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-go zone” for opposing military forces.
Operational concepts are general approaches for how to use
military forces for achieving certain objectives. Fleet
architecture refers to the types and mix of ships that make
up a navy.
Source: Cropped version of photograph accompanying National
Steel and Shipbuilding Company, “General Dynamics NASSCO
New Fleet Architecture and
Launches First Ship in the T-AO Fleet Oiler Program for the U.S.
Operational Concepts
Navy,” January 13, 2021.
To more effectively counter the improving A2/AD
Note: Launching is when a ship that is under construction is put into
capabilities of China in particular, the Navy wants to begin
the water for the final phases of its construction.
shifting to a new, more distributed fleet architecture that is
to include a reduced proportion of larger ships and an
Next-Generation Logistics Ship
increased proportion of smaller ships. This more distributed
(NGLS) Program
fleet architecture is intended to support a new Navy and
Marine Corps operational concept for countering adversary
Basic Concept for Ship
A2/AD forces, called Distributed Maritime Operations
The NGLS program, also known as the Next-Generation
(DMO), and an associated new Marine Corps operational
Medium Logistics Ship program, was initiated in the
concept called Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations
Navy’s FY2021 budget submission. The program envisages
(EABO).
building a new class of CLF ships that would be smaller
and individually less expensive to procure than the Navy’s
DMO aims at avoiding a situation in which an adversary
current CLF ships. Like the Navy’s current CLF ships,
could defeat U.S. naval forces by concentrating its attacks
NGLSs would be operated by MSC with mostly civilian
on a relatively small number of large, high-value U.S. Navy
crews. The Navy states that
ships. Under EABO, relatively small Marine Corps units
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
The Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) is
Potential Procurement Cost
planned to be a new class of ships to augment the
The procurement cost for an NGLS is to be substantially
current Combat Logistics Force ships, through the
less than that of the TAO-205 design, which is about $670
use of commercial ship designs tailored for military
million per ship when procured at a rate of one per year.
applications to conduct logistics missions. The
The December 9, 2020, long-range Navy shipbuilding
NGLS will enable refueling, rearming, and resupply
document showed an NGLS procurement cost of $150
of Naval assets—afloat and ashore—in support of
million per ship.
Distributed
Maritime
Operations,
Littoral
Operations
Contested
Environment,
and
Industry Day
Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations. The
The Navy held an industry day for the NGLS program on
June 25, 2020, the purpose of which was to introduce the
NGLS is envisioned to be smaller than existing
program to potential industry participants and give them a
ships in the Combat Logistics Force, and will
chance to ask initial questions about the program. Attendees
operate near contested environments, sustaining
included representatives from shipyards, ship-design firms,
afloat (Surface Action Group) and ashore
and component suppliers.
(Expeditionary Advanced Base) requirements.
NGLS is potentially a family of vessels with
Program Schedule
commercial
designs tailored
for
military
The Navy plans to award multiple contracts for industry
applications. RDT&E [research, development, test,
studies on the NGLS that are to help inform the Navy’s
and evaluation] funding will continue to support
process for setting performance requirements for the NGLS.
requirements trade-off studies, development of
The industry studies are scheduled to commence in the
indicative [i.e., notional] designs, specification
second quarter of FY2021. Under a schedule shown in the
development,
and
demonstrations
of
Navy’s industry day briefing, the contract for designing and
experimentation and proof-of-concepts focused on
constructing or converting the first NGLS would be
the Refuel, Resupply, and Rearm logistics missions.
awarded in the second quarter of FY2023. The December 9,
2020, shipbuilding document submitted by the Trump
(Source: Department of Defense, Fiscal Year (FY)
Administration showed the first six NGLs being procured in
2022 Budget Estimates, Navy, Research,
FY2023-FY2026 in annual quantities of 1-1-2-2.
Development, Test & Evaluation, Navy [account],
Justification Book Volume 2 of 5, May 2021, page
FY2022 Funding Request
452.)
The Navy’s proposed FY2022 budget requests $27.8
million in research and development funding for the
Potential Procurement Quantity
program in Project 4045 (Next Generation Medium
The Navy has not yet determined how many NGLSs it
Logistics Ship) within Program Element (PE) 0603563N,
wants to procure. Long-range Navy shipbuilding documents
Ship Concept Advanced Design, which is line 46 in the
released by the Trump Administration and the Biden
Navy’s FY2022 research and development account.
Administration on December 9, 2020, and June 17, 2021,
respectively, call for future Navy fleets with an increased
Legislative Activity for FY2022
number of CLF ships, some of which are to be NGLSs.
The Navy’s proposed FY2022 budget was submitted to
Press reports about the Navy’s new fleet architecture have
Congress on May 28, 2021.
suggested that the Navy might want to procure between 18
and 30.
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
IF11674
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program: Bac kground and Issues for Congress
Disclaimer
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