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Updated April 26, 2022
Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
ships. Under EABO, relatively small Marine Corps units
The Navy’s Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS)
armed with anti-ship cruise missiles and other weapons
program envisages procuring new medium-sized at-sea
would hop on and off islands in the Western Pacific to
resupply ships for the Navy. The Navy’s proposed FY2023
conduct “shoot-and-scoot” operations against adversary
budget requests $3.0 million in research and development
ships. For more on DMO, EABO, and the Navy’s more
funding for the program. The Navy’s five-year (FY2023-
distributed fleet architecture, see CRS Report RL32665,
FY2027) shipbuilding plan programs the procurement of
Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background
the first NGLS in FY2026 at a cost of $150.0 million and
and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke, and CRS
the second in FY2027 at a cost of $156.0 million.
Report R46374, Navy Light Amphibious Warship (LAW)
Program: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald
Terminology
O'Rourke.
The Navy’s Combat Logistics Force (CLF) ships, also
called underway replenishment (UNREP) ships, are
Logistics Ships Currently Being Procured
logistics ships that resupply the Navy’s combatant ships
The Navy is currently procuring new John Lewis (TAO-
(e.g., aircraft carriers, surface combatants, and amphibious
205) class oilers (Figure 1), which are large CLF ships.
ships) at sea, so that the combatant ships can continue
When procured at a rate of one ship per year, TAO-205s
operating without having to return to port.
have a currently estimated procurement cost of more than
$700 million per ship. For more on the TAO-205 program,
The Navy’s current CLF ships include oilers (TAOs), dry
see CRS Report R43546, Navy John Lewis (TAO-205)
cargo and ammunition ships (TAKEs), and fast combat
Class Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues
support ships (TAOEs). In these designations, T means the
for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.
ship is operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC)
with a mostly civilian crew, A means auxiliary ship, O
Figure 1. John Lewis (TAO-205)
means oiler, K means cargo, and E means ammunition (i.e.,
explosives). (In some documents, TAO, TAKE, etc. are
typed as T-AO, T-AKE, etc.) 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.
New Fleet Architecture and
Source: Cropped version of photograph accompanying National
Operational Concepts
Steel and Shipbuilding Company, “General Dynamics NASSCO
To more effectively counter the improving A2/AD
Launches First Ship in the T-AO Fleet Oiler Program for the U.S.
capabilities of China in particular, the Navy wants to begin
Navy,” January 13, 2021.
shifting to a new, more distributed fleet architecture that is
Note: Launching is when a ship that is under construction is put into
to include a reduced proportion of larger ships and an
the water for the final phases of its construction.
increased proportion of smaller ships. This more distributed
fleet architecture is intended to support a new Navy and
Next-Generation Logistics Ship
Marine Corps operational concept for countering adversary
(NGLS) Program
A2/AD forces, called Distributed Maritime Operations
(DMO), and an associated new Marine Corps operational
Basic Concept for Ship
concept called Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations
The NGLS program, also known as the Next-Generation
(EABO).
Medium Logistics Ship program, was initiated in the
Navy’s FY2021 budget submission. The program envisages
DMO aims at avoiding a situation in which an adversary
building a new class of CLF ships (or a family of CLF ship
could defeat U.S. naval forces by concentrating its attacks
designs) that would be smaller and individually less
on a relatively small number of large, high-value U.S. Navy
expensive to procure than the Navy’s current CLF ships.
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Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
Like the Navy’s current CLF ships, NGLSs would be
number of CLF ships suggesting that the Navy might want
operated by MSC with mostly civilian crews. The Navy’s
to procure at least a dozen or so NGLSs, and perhaps twice
FY2023 30-year (FY2023-FY2052) shipbuilding plan
or more than twice that number.
refers to the NGLS as a TAOL (also typed as T-AOL),
meaning an MSC-operated light (i.e., small) oiler. The
Potential Procurement Cost
Navy states that
The Navy’s five-year (FY2023-FY2027) shipbuilding plan
programs the procurement of the first NGLS in FY2026 at a
The Next Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) is
cost of $150.0 million and the second in FY2027 at a cost
planned to be a new class of ships to augment the
of $156.0 million.
traditional Combat Logistics Force (CLF) to enable
refueling, rearming, and resupply of Naval assets—
Industry Day
afloat and ashore—near contested environments via
The Navy held an industry day for the NGLS program on
ship-to-ship operations and ship-to port operations
June 25, 2020, the purpose of which was to introduce the
in support of Distributed Maritime Operations
program to potential industry participants and give them a
(DMO), Littoral Operations in a Contested
chance to ask initial questions about the program. Attendees
Environment
(LOCE),
and
Expeditionary
included representatives from shipyards, ship-design firms,
and component suppliers.
Advanced Base Operations (EABO). Augmenting
the traditional CLF, NGLS will provide a flexible,
Industry Studies
responsive platform to move fuel, personnel,
A January 6, 2022, press report stated that the Navy on
equipment, and supplies between ships, advanced
December 17, 2021, awarded contracts to Austal USA of
bases, ports, and dispersed nodes of the seabase;
Mobile, AL; Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, LA; and TAI
sustaining afloat (Surface Action Group) and ashore
Engineers, with main offices in New Orleans, LA, for
(Expeditionary Advanced Base) requirements.
industry studies for the NGLS program. The contracts
(Source: Department of Defense, Fiscal Year (FY)
reportedly have a base value of $2 million each, with Austal
2023
Budget
Estimates,
Navy,
Research,
USA’s contract having a potential value of up to $3.65
Development, Test & Evaluation, Navy [account],
million, Bollinger’s up to $4.1 million, and TAI Engineers’
up to $3.46 million. The Navy will use studies, which are to
Justification Book Volume 2 of 5, April 2022, page
last 24 months, to inform its understanding of cost-
448.)
capability trade-offs for the NGLS.
A February 1, 2022, report from Inside Defense stated that a
Navy spokesman said that the NGLS will potentially be a
Program Schedule
family of vessels rather than a single class of ships. The
As mentioned earlier, the Navy’s five year (FY2023-
Navy’s Fleet Readiness and Logistics office (known as the
FY2027) shipbuilding plan programs the procurement of
N4 division within the Office of the Chief of Naval
the first NGLS for FY2026. The Navy’s FY2023 budget
Operations, or OPNAV) approved the top-level
submission states that the Navy wants to award the Detail
requirements (i.e., major required features) for the NGLS in
Design and Construction (DD&C) contract for the program
March 2020. The top-level requirements envision NGLSs
in FY2026.
being built in two variants: a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV)
variant and a Fast Supply Vessel (FSV) variant. The two
FY2023 Funding Request and
variants would perform the same missions, but the FSV
Congressional Action
variant would be smaller and faster than the PSV variant.
The Navy’s proposed FY2023 budget requests $3.0 million
The Navy states that commercial PSVs and FSVs are
in research and development funding for the program in
potential design solutions for the NGLS program, but that
Project 4045 (Next Generation Medium Logistics Ship)
the Navy is not limiting the potential solution to those types
within Program Element (PE) 0603563N, Ship Concept
of vessels.
Advanced Design, which is line 46 in the Navy’s FY2023
research and development account.
Potential Procurement Quantity
The Navy has not yet determined how many NGLSs it
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
wants to procure. The Navy’s FY2023 30-year (FY2023-
FY2052) shipbuilding plan, submitted on April 20, 2022,
IF11674
includes a table with figures for the potential future total
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Navy Next-Generation Logistics Ship (NGLS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
Disclaimer
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