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Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
on a relatively small number of large, high-value U.S. Navy
The Navy’s Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS)
ships. Under EABO, relatively small Marine Corps units
program envisages procuring new medium-sized at-sea
armed with anti-ship cruise missiles and other weapons
resupply ships for the Navy. The Navy states that the NGLS
would hop on and off islands in the Western Pacific to
program could involve procuring either a single class of
conduct “shoot-and-scoot” operations against adversary
ships or a family of ship designs. The Navy’s proposed
ships. For more on DMO, EABO, and the Navy’s more
FY2022 budget requested $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 carriers, 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 (or a family of CLF ship
designs) that would be smaller and individually less
DMO aims at avoiding a situation in which an adversary
expensive to procure than the Navy’s current CLF ships.
could defeat U.S. naval forces by concentrating its attacks
Like the Navy’s current CLF ships, NGLSs would be
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
operated by MSC with mostly civilian crews. The Navy
Industry Day
states that
The Navy held an industry day for the NGLS program on
June 25, 2020, the purpose of which was to introduce the
The Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) is
program to potential industry participants and give them a
planned to be a new class of ships to augment the
chance to ask initial questions about the program. Attendees
current Combat Logistics Force ships, through the
included representatives from shipyards, ship-design firms,
use of commercial ship designs tailored for military
and component suppliers.
applications to conduct logistics missions. The
NGLS will enable refueling, rearming, and resupply
Industry Studies
of Naval assets—afloat and ashore—in support of
A January 6, 2022, press report stated that the Navy on
Distributed
Maritime
Operations,
Littoral
December 17, 2021, awarded contracts to Austal USA of
Operations
Contested
Environment,
and
Mobile, AL; Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, LA; and TAI
Engineers, with main offices in New Orleans, LA, for
Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations. The
industry studies for the NGLS program. The contracts
NGLS is envisioned to be smaller than existing
reportedly have a base value of $2 million each, with Austal
ships in the Combat Logistics Force, and will
USA’s contract having a potential value of up to $3.65
operate near contested environments, sustaining
million, Bollinger’s up to $4.1 million, and TAI Engineers’
afloat (Surface Action Group) and ashore
up to $3.46 million. The Navy will use studies, which are to
(Expeditionary Advanced Base) requirements.
last 24 months, to inform its understanding of cost-
NGLS is potentially a family of vessels with
capability trade-offs for the NGLS.
commercial
designs
tailored
for
military
applications.
Program Schedule
(Source: Department of Defense, Fiscal Year (FY)
Under a schedule shown in the Navy’s industry day
briefing, the contract for designing and constructing or
2022
Budget
Estimates,
Navy,
Research,
converting the first NGLS would be awarded in the second
Development, Test & Evaluation, Navy [account],
quarter of FY2023. The December 9, 2020, shipbuilding
Justification Book Volume 2 of 5, May 2021, page
document submitted by the Trump Administration showed
452.)
the first six NGLSs being procured in FY2023-FY2026 in
Consistent with the above-quoted passage, a February 1,
annual quantities of 1-1-2-2.
2022, report from Inside Defense stated that a Navy
spokesman said that the NGLS will potentially be a family
FY2022 Funding Request and
of vessels rather than a single class of ships. The Navy’s
Congressional Action
Fleet Readiness and Logistics office (known as the N4
The Navy’s proposed FY2022 budget requested $27.8
division within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations,
million in research and development funding for the
or OPNAV) approved the top-level requirements (i.e.,
program in Project 4045 (Next Generation Medium
major required features) for the NGLS in March 2020. The
Logistics Ship) within Program Element (PE) 0603563N,
top-level requirements envision NGLSs being built in two
Ship Concept Advanced Design, which is line 46 in the
variants: a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) variant and a Fast
Navy’s FY2022 research and development account. (Other
Supply Vessel (FSV) variant. The two variants would
Navy documents show the requested amount as $28.0
perform the same missions, but the FSV variant would be
million.)
smaller and faster than the PSV variant. The Navy states
that commercial PSVs and FSVs are potential design
The joint explanatory statement for the FY2022 National
solutions for the NGLS program, but that the Navy is not
Defense Authorization Act (S. 1605/P.L. 117-81 of
limiting the potential solution to those types of vessels.
December 27, 2021) that was released on December 7,
2021, recommends approving the Navy’s research and
Potential Procurement Quantity
development funding request for the program.
The Navy has not yet determined how many NGLSs it
wants to procure. A long-range Navy shipbuilding
The FY2022 DOD Appropriations Act (Division C of H.R.
document released by the Biden Administration on June 17,
2471/P.L. 117-103 of March 15, 2022) reduced the Navy’s
2021, calls for future Navy fleets with an increased number
FY2022 research and development funding request for the
of CLF ships, some of which are to be NGLSs. Press
program by $6.57 million for “Next generation medium
reports about the Navy’s new fleet architecture have
logistics ship industry studies and design contract award
suggested that the Navy might want to procure between 18
delay” ($1.0 million), “Next generation medium logistics
and 30.
ship special studies excess to need” ($2.5 million), and
“Project 4045 prior year execution baseline adjustment”
Potential Procurement Cost
($3.07 million).
The procurement cost for an NGLS is to be substantially
less than that of the TAO-205 design, which is about $670
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
million per ship when procured at a rate of one per year. A
December 9, 2020, long-range Navy shipbuilding document
IF11674
showed an NGLS procurement cost of $150 million per
ship.
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Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
Disclaimer
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