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Updated March 31, 2022
Navy DDG(X) Next-Generation Destroyer Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues
The Navy’s DDG(X) program envisages procuring a class
for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.)
of next-generation guided-missile destroyers (DDGs) to
replace the Navy’s Ticonderoga (CG-47) class Aegis
LSC Industrial Base
cruisers and older Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class Aegis
All LSCs procured for the Navy since FY1985 have been
destroyers. The Navy wants to procure the first DDG(X) in
built at General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works (GD/BIW) of
FY2028. The Navy’s proposed FY2022 budget requested
Bath, ME, and Huntington Ingalls Industries/Ingalls
$121.8 million in research and development funding for the
Shipbuilding (HII/Ingalls) of Pascagoula, MS. Lockheed
program.
Martin and Raytheon are major contractors for Navy
surface ship combat system equipment. The surface
Navy Large Surface Combatants (LSCs)
combatant industrial base also includes hundreds of
additional component and material supplier firms.
Terminology
Since the 1980s, there has been substantial overlap in the
Figure 1. Navy Rendering of Notional DDG(X) Design
size and capability of Navy cruisers and destroyers. In part
for this reason, the Navy now refers to its cruisers and
destroyers collectively as large surface combatants (LSCs).
Force-Level Goal
The Navy’s current 355-ship force-level goal, released in
December 2016, calls for achieving and maintaining a force
of 104 LSCs. The Navy and the Office of the Secretary of
Defense have been working since 2019 to develop a
successor to the 355-ship force-level goal. A June 17, 2021,
Navy long-range shipbuilding document reflecting work on
the development of the successor goal calls for maintaining
a force of 63 to 65 LSCs. On February 18, 2022, the Chief
of Naval Operations (CNO), referring to work on the
development of the successor goal, outlined a future Navy
Source: Il ustration accompanying Sam LaGrone, “Navy Unveils
that would include 60 LSCs.
Next-Generation DDG(X) Warship Concept with Hypersonic
Existing LSCs
Missiles, Lasers,” USNI News, January 12, 2022. The article credits the
il ustration to the U.S. Navy.
The Navy’s CG-47s and DDG-51s are commonly called
Aegis cruisers and destroyers because they are equipped
DDG(X) Program
with the Aegis combat system, an integrated collection of
sensors and weapons named for the mythical shield that
Program Designation
defended Zeus. The Navy procured 27 CG-47s between
In the program designation DDG(X), the X means the
FY1978 and FY1988. The ships entered service between
precise design for the ship has not yet been determined.
1983 and 1994. The first five, which were built to an earlier
technical standard, were judged by the Navy to be too
Procurement Date for Lead Ship
expensive to modernize and were removed from service in
As mentioned earlier, the Navy wants to procure the first
2004-2005. The Navy’s FY2020 30-year shipbuilding plan
DDG(X) in FY2028, though the date for procuring the first
projected that the remaining 22 CG-47s would be retired
ship has changed before and could change again.
between FY2021 and FY2038.
Procurement of DDG-51s—the type of LSC currently being
procured by the Navy—would end sometime after
The first DDG-51 was procured in FY1985 and entered
procurement of DDG(X)s begins.
service in 1991. The version of the DDG-51 that the Navy
is currently procuring is called the Flight III version. The
Navy’s General Concept for the Ship
Navy also has three Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyers
Figure 1 shows a Navy rendering of a notional DDG(X)
that were procured in FY2007-FY2009 and are equipped
design concept. The Navy approved the DDG(X)’s top-
with a combat system that is different than the Aegis
level requirements (i.e., its major required features) in
system. (For more on the DDG-51 and DDG-1000
December 2020. Navy officials envision the DDG(X) as
programs, see CRS Report RL32109, Navy DDG-51 and
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Navy DDG(X) Next-Generation Destroyer Program: Background and Issues for Congress
being larger than the 9,700-ton Flight III DDG-51 design,
Issues for Congress
but smaller than the 15,700-ton DDG-1000 design. A
Issues for Congress regarding the DDG(X) program include
DDG(X) design midway in displacement between the
the following: (1) whether the Navy has accurately
DDG-51 and DDG-1000 designs would displace about
identified the DDG(X)’s required operational capabilities
12,700 tons, but the DDG(X)’s displacement could turn out
and estimated procurement cost; (2) the DDG(X) program’s
to be less than or more than 12,700 tons. The Navy
potential total procurement quantity and annual
envisages the DDG(X) as having (1) an integrated
procurement rate; (3) the number of shipbuilders to be used
propulsion system (IPS) that incorporates lessons from the
in building DDG(X)s; (4) the Navy’s plan for maturing new
DDG-1000 IPS and the Navy’s new Columbia-class
technologies for the DDG(X); and (5) the Navy’s plan for
ballistic missile submarine; (2) initially, combat system
transitioning from DDG-51 procurement to DDG(X)
equipment similar to that installed on the Flight III DDG-
procurement, and the potential impact of that transition on
51; and (3) more weapon capacity than the Flight III DDG-
shipbuilders and supplier firms. For further discussion of
51. The Navy states that the DDG(X) would
the final issue, see CRS Report RL32109, Navy DDG-51
and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and
integrate non-developmental systems into a new
Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.
hull design that incorporates platform flexibility
and the space, weight, power and cooling (SWAP-
FY2022 Funding Request and
C) to meet future combatant force capability/system
Congressional Action
requirements that are not achievable without the
The Navy’s proposed FY2022 budget requested $121.8
new hull design. The DDG(X) platform will have
million in research and development funding for the
the flexibility to rapidly and affordably upgrade to
program, including $79.7 million in Project 0411 (DDG[X]
future warfighting systems when they become
Concept Development) within Program Element (PE)
available as well as have improved range and fuel
0603564N (Ship Preliminary Design & Feasibility Studies),
efficiency for increased operational flexibility and
which is line 47 in the Navy’s FY2022 research and
decreased demand on the logistics force.
development account, and $42.1 million for “DDG(X)
Power & Propulsion Risk Mitigation & Demonstration,”
(Source: Department of Defense Fiscal Year (FY)
which forms part of Project 2471 (Integrated Power
2022 Budget Estimates, Navy, Justification Book,
Systems [IPS]) within PE 0603573N (Advanced Surface
Volume 2 of 5, Research, Development, Test &
Machinery Systems), which is line 49 in the Navy’s
Evaluation, Navy, May 2021, p. 479.)
FY2022 research and development account.
Potential Procurement Quantities
The joint explanatory statement for the FY2022 National
The Navy has not specified how many DDG(X)s it wants to
Defense Authorization Act (S. 1605/P.L. 117-81 of
procure. Procuring 11 would provide one for each of the
December 27, 2021) recommends approving the Navy’s
Navy’s 11 aircraft carriers. Procuring 22 would provide
research and development funding requests for the DDG(X)
one-for-one replacements for the 22 CG-47s. Procuring
program. Section 221 directs the Navy to commence a land-
additional DDG(X)s to replace older DDG-51s would result
based test program for the DDG(X) engineering plant
in a larger total procurement quantity.
during the program’s detailed design period and prior to the
construction start date of the lead ship.
Potential Unit Procurement Cost
The first DDG(X) would be considerably more expensive to
The FY2022 DOD Appropriations Act (H.R. 2471/P.L.
procure than follow-on DDG(X)s because its procurement
117-103 of March 15, 2022) reduced the Navy’s funding
cost would incorporate most or all of the detailed design
request for Project 0411 within line 47 by $71.7 million for
and nonrecurring engineering (DD/NRE) costs for the class.
“design and analysis and program management growth
(It is a traditional Navy budgeting practice for the
early to need,” and the Navy’s funding request for Project
procurement cost of the lead ship in a class to incorporate
2471 within line 49 by $13.2 million for “power and energy
most or all of the DD/NRE costs for the class.)
systems product development prior year carryover” ($0.5
million) and “DDG(X) power and propulsion risk
In constant FY2019 dollars, the Navy wants the first
mitigation and demonstration excess to need” ($12.7
DDG(X) to have a procurement cost of $3.5 billion to $4.0
million).
billion, and for the 10th ship in the class to have a
procurement cost of $2.1 billion to $2.5 billion. An April
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
2021 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report estimates
the average procurement cost of the DDG(X) at $2.9 billion
IF11679
in constant FY2021 dollars. By way of comparison, the
Flight III DDG-51’s current procurement is about $2.0
billion.
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Navy DDG(X) Next-Generation Destroyer Program: Background and Issues for Congress
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