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Updated March 25, 2024
Navy Light Replenishment Oiler (TAOL) Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
forces) called Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), and
The Navy’s Light Replenishment Oiler (TAOL) program,
an associated new Marine Corps operational concept called
previously called the Next-Generation Logistics Ship
Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO). DMO
(NGLS) program, envisages procuring a new class of
aims at avoiding a situation in which an adversary could
potentially 13 at-sea resupply ships for the Navy. The
defeat U.S. naval forces by concentrating its attacks on a
Navy’s proposed FY2024 budget requested $8.8 million in
relatively small number of large, high-value U.S. Navy
research and development funding for the program. The
ships. Under EABO, relatively small Marine Corps units
Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $7.7 million in
armed with anti-ship cruise missiles and other weapons
research and development funding for the program.
would hop on and off islands in the Western Pacific to
conduct “shoot-and-scoot” operations against adversary
The Navy’s FY2024 five-year (FY2024-FY2028)
ships.
shipbuilding plan programmed the procurement of the first
TAOL in FY2026 at a cost of $150.0 million, the second in
For more on DMO, EABO, and the Navy’s more
FY2027 at a cost of $156.0 million, and the third in
distributed fleet architecture, see CRS In Focus IF12599,
FY2028 at a cost of $159.0 million. Compared to the
Defense Primer: Navy Distributed Maritime Operations
Navy’s FY2024 five-year shipbuilding plan, the Navy’s
(DMO) Concept, by Ronald O'Rourke, CRS Report
FY2025 five-year (FY2025-FY2029) shipbuilding plan
RL32665, Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans:
defers the programmed start of TAOL procurement by one
Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke,
year and roughly triples the estimated procurement cost of
and CRS Report R46374, Navy Medium Landing Ship
each ship—the plan programs the procurement of the first
(LSM) (Previously Light Amphibious Warship [LAW])
TAOL in FY2027, the second in FY2028, and the third in
Program: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald
FY2029, each at a cost of $453 million.
O'Rourke.
Terminology
Logistics Ships Currently Being Procured
The Navy’s Combat Logistics Force (CLF) ships, also
The Navy is currently procuring new John Lewis (TAO-
called underway replenishment (UNREP) ships, are
205) class oilers, which are large CLF ships. TAO-205s
logistics ships that resupply the Navy’s combatant ships
have a currently estimated procurement cost of more than
(e.g., aircraft carriers, surface combatants, and amphibious
$800 million per ship. For more on the TAO-205 program,
ships) at sea, so that the combatant ships can continue
see CRS Report R43546, Navy John Lewis (TAO-205)
operating at sea without having to return to port.
Class Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues
for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.
The Navy’s current CLF ships include oilers (TAOs), dry
cargo and ammunition ships (TAKEs), and fast combat
TAOL Program
support ships (TAOEs). In these designations, T means the
ship is operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC)
Basic Concept for Ship
with a mostly civilian crew, A means auxiliary ship, O
The TAOL program (referred to in some documents as the
means oiler, K means cargo, and E means ammunition (i.e.,
NGLS or Next-Generation Medium Logistics Ship
explosives). (TAO, TAKE, etc. are also typed as T-AO, T-
program) was initiated in the Navy’s FY2021 budget
AKE, etc.) These CLF ships are large auxiliary ships. In the
submission. The program envisages building a new class of
designation TAOL (also typed as T-AOL), the L means
CLF ships (or a family of CLF ship designs) that would be
light, meaning a smaller version of such a ship. TAOL thus
smaller and individually less expensive to procure than the
means an oiler that is smaller than a full-sized oiler.
Navy’s current CLF ships. Figure 1 shows a sketch of a
Navy notional TAOL design concept.
New Fleet Architecture and
Operational Concepts
To more effectively counter the improving A2/AD
capabilities (i.e., capabilities that aim to create a defended
area around a country that in time of conflict would be a
“no-go zone” for opposing military forces) of China in
particular, the Navy wants to begin shifting to a new, more
distributed fleet architecture (i.e., mix of ships) that is
intended to support a new Navy and Marine Corps
operational concept (i.e., a general approach for using
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Navy Light Replenishment Oiler (TAOL) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
Figure 1. Navy Notional TAOL Design Concept
envisages procuring a total of 13 TAOLs, but also indicates
that the total desired number of TAOLs is subject to further
analysis and could change.
Procurement Schedule and Procurement Cost
The Navy’s FY2024 five-year (FY2024-FY2028)
shipbuilding plan programmed the procurement of the first
Source: U.S. Navy information paper, June 14, 2022, received by
TAOL in FY2026 at a cost of $150.0 million, the second in
CRS from Navy Office of Legislative Affairs, June 16, 2022. The Navy
FY2027 at a cost of $156.0 million, and the third in
states that the rendering “was developed by the Navy as an
FY2028 at a cost of $159.0 million. Compared to the
il ustration of the indicative design that supports the refuel, rearm
Navy’s FY2024 five-year shipbuilding plan, the Navy’s
and resupply missions currently contemplated by the NGLS program.
FY2025 five-year (FY2025-FY2029) shipbuilding plan
This il ustration does not represent the final NGLS design.”
defers the programmed start of TAOL procurement by one
year and roughly triples the estimated procurement cost of
The Navy states that the TAOL
each ship—the plan programs the procurement of the first
is planned to be a new class of ships to augment the
TAOL in FY2027, the second in FY2028, and the third in
traditional Combat Logistics Force (CLF) to enable
FY2029, each at a cost of $453 million.
refueling, rearming, and resupply of Naval assets—
Contracts for Industry Studies
afloat and ashore—near contested environments via
A January 6, 2022, press report stated that the Navy on
ship-to-ship operations and ship-to port operations
December 17, 2021, awarded contracts to Austal USA of
in support of Distributed Maritime Operations
Mobile, AL; Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, LA; and TAI
(DMO), Littoral Operations in a Contested
Engineers, with main offices in New Orleans, LA, for
Environment
(LOCE),
and
Expeditionary
industry studies for the TAOL program. The contracts
Advanced Base Operations (EABO). Augmenting
reportedly have a base value of $2 million each, with Austal
the traditional CLF, NGLS will provide a flexible,
USA’s contract having a potential value of up to $3.65
responsive platform to move fuel, personnel,
million, Bollinger’s up to $4.1 million, and TAI Engineers’
equipment, and supplies between ships, advanced
up to $3.46 million. The Navy will use studies, which are to
bases, ports, and dispersed nodes of the seabase;
last 24 months, to inform its understanding of cost-
sustaining afloat (Surface Action Group) and ashore
capability trade-offs for the TAOL.
(Expeditionary Advanced Base) requirements.
Funding Request and Congressional
(Source: Department of Defense, Fiscal Year (FY)
Action
2024
Budget
Estimates,
Navy,
Research,
Development, Test & Evaluation, Navy [account],
FY2024
Justification Book Volume 2 of 5, March 2023,
The Navy’s proposed FY2024 budget requested $8.8
page 421.)
million in research and development funding for the TAOL
A February 1, 2022, report from Inside Defense stated that a
program in Project 4045 (Next Generation Medium
Navy spokesman said that the TAOL will potentially be a
Logistics Ship) within Program Element (PE) 0603563N,
family of vessels rather than a single class of ships. The
Ship Concept Advanced Design, which is line 45 in the
Navy’s Fleet Readiness and Logistics office (known as the
Navy’s FY2024 research and development account. The
N4 division within the Office of the Chief of Naval
explanatory statement for the FY2024 DOD Appropriations
Operations, or OPNAV) approved the top-level
Act (Division A of H.R. 2882/P.L. 118-47 of March 23,
requirements (i.e., major required features) for the TAOL in
2024) approves this funding request.
March 2020. The top-level requirements envision TAOLs
being built in two variants: a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV)
FY2025
variant and a Fast Supply Vessel (FSV) variant. The two
The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $7.7 million
variants would perform the same missions, but the FSV
in research and development funding for the TAOL
variant would be smaller and faster than the PSV variant.
program in Project 4045 (Next Generation Medium
The Navy states that commercial PSVs and FSVs are
Logistics Ship) within Program Element (PE) 0603563N,
potential design solutions for the TAOL program, but that
Ship Concept Advanced Design, which is line 45 in the
the Navy is not limiting the potential solution to those types
Navy’s FY2025 research and development account.
of vessels.
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
Procurement Quantity
The Navy’s FY2025 30-year (FY2025-FY2054)
IF11674
shipbuilding plan indicates that the Navy currently
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Navy Light Replenishment Oiler (TAOL) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
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