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Updated July 10, 2024
Navy DDG(X) Next-Generation Destroyer Program:
Background and Issues for Congress
Introduction
combatant industrial base also includes hundreds of
The Navy’s DDG(X) program envisages procuring a class
additional component and material supplier firms.
of next-generation guided-missile destroyers (DDGs) to
replace the Navy’s Ticonderoga (CG-47) class Aegis
DDG(X) Program
cruisers and older Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class Aegis
destroyers. The Navy wants to procure the first DDG(X) in
Program Designation and Lead Ship Procurement
FY2032. The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests
In the program designation DDG(X), the X means the
$102.8 million in research and development funding for the
precise design for the ship has not yet been determined. As
program.
mentioned earlier, the Navy wants to procure the first
DDG(X) in FY2032, though the date for procuring the first
Navy Large Surface Combatants (LSCs)
ship has changed before and could change again.
Procurement of DDG-51s—the type of LSC currently being
Force-Level Goal
procured by the Navy—would end sometime after
The Navy refers to its cruisers and destroyers collectively
procurement of DDG(X)s begins. Navy officials have stated
as large surface combatants (LSCs). The Navy’s current
that they would like to see a three-year overlap between the
355-ship force-level goal, released in December 2016, calls
start of DDG(X) procurement and the end of DDG-51
for achieving and maintaining a force of 104 LSCs. The
procurement.
Navy’s FY2025 30-year (FY2025-FY2054) shipbuilding
plan summarizes Navy and OSD studies outlining potential
Navy’s General Concept for the Ship
successor Navy force-level goals that include 72 to 96
Figure 1 shows a Navy rendering of a notional DDG(X)
LSCs.
design. The Navy approved the DDG(X)’s top-level
requirements (i.e., its major required features) in December
Existing LSCs
2020. An October 2023 Congressional Budget Office
The Navy’s CG-47s and DDG-51s are commonly called
(CBO) report on the Navy’s FY2024 30-year shipbuilding
Aegis cruisers and destroyers because they are equipped
plan states that “the Navy has indicated that the initial
with the Aegis combat system, an integrated collection of
[DDG(X)] design prescribes a displacement of 13,500
sensors and weapons named for the mythical shield that
tons,” which would be about 39% greater than the 9,700-
defended Zeus. The Navy procured 27 CG-47s between
ton Flight III DDG-51 design.
FY1978 and FY1988. The ships entered service between
1983 and 1994. The first five, which were built to an earlier
Figure 1. Navy Rendering of Notional DDG(X) Design
technical standard, were judged by the Navy to be too
expensive to modernize and were removed from service in
2004-2005. The Navy began retiring the remaining 22 ships
in FY2022 and wants to retire all 22 by the end of FY2027.
The first DDG-51 was procured in FY1985 and entered
service in 1991. The version of the DDG-51 that the Navy
is currently procuring is called the Flight III version. The
Navy also has three Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyers
that were procured in FY2007-FY2009 and are equipped
with a combat system that is different than the Aegis
system. (For more on the DDG-51 and DDG-1000
programs, see CRS Report RL32109, Navy DDG-51 and
DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues
for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.)
Source: Navy rendering of notional DDG(X) design accompanying
LSC Industrial Base
Sam LaGrone, “Navy Wants 3-Year Overlap Between Arleigh Burkes
and DDG(X), Considering Propulsion System,” USNI News, January
All LSCs procured for the Navy since FY1985 have been
10, 2024.
built at General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works (GD/BIW) of
The Navy envisages the DDG(X) as having (1) Flight III
Bath, ME, and Huntington Ingalls Industries/Ingalls
DDG-51 Aegis combat system elements; (2) more growth
Shipbuilding (HII/Ingalls) of Pascagoula, MS. Lockheed
margin than the Flight III DDG-51 design, meaning more
Martin and Raytheon are major contractors for Navy
space, weight-carrying capacity, electrical power, and
surface ship combat system equipment. The surface
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Navy DDG(X) Next-Generation Destroyer Program: Background and Issues for Congress
cooling capacity (aka SWAP-C) for accepting additional or
DDG(X) would cost about 14 percent more than the DDG-
higher-power equipment and weapons (including directed-
51 Flight III but would have a full-load displacement that is
energy weapons) over the ship’s service life; (3) an
40 percent greater. Such an outcome, however, seems
integrated power system (IPS); (4) reduced vulnerability
unlikely given the history of the Zumwalt class DDG-1000
due to reduced infrared, acoustic, and underwater
guided missile destroyer.”
electromagnetic signatures; (5) increased cruising range and
time on station; and (6) increased weapon capacity.
Issues for Congress
Issues for Congress regarding the DDG(X) program include
The Navy states that the baseline DDG(X) design, like the
the following: (1) Would a new LSC larger than the Flight
Fight III DDG-51 design, is to include 96 standard Vertical
III DDG-51 design be consistent with the Navy’s desire to
Launch System (VLS) cells, with an ability to incorporate
shift to a more distributed fleet architecture that includes a
12 large missile launch cells in place of 32 of the 96
larger number of smaller ships? (2) The Navy in the past
standard VLS cells. It is also to include two 21-cell Rolling
has studied options for a lengthened version of the DDG-51
Airframe Missile (RAM) launchers, and possibly also an
that would displace between 11,000 and 12,000 tons.
ability to be built with an additional mid-body hull section,
Would the DDG(X) be more cost-effective than a
called the Destroyer Payload Module, that would provide
lengthened DDG-51? (3) Has the Navy accurately
additional payload capacity. The Navy states that
identified the DDG(X)’s required operational capabilities?
The Future Naval Force Study (FNFS) and the
(4) Why is there a 35% to 43% difference between the CBO
Future Surface Combatant Force Analysis of
and Navy estimates of the DDG(X)’s average procurement
Alternatives
(FSCF
AoA)
identified
the
cost? (5) Would future Navy budgets permit the
requirement for future large surface combatants
procurement of DDG(X)s in desired numbers while
(LSCs) to be capable of hosting directed energy
adequately funding other Navy priorities? (6) Has the Navy
(DE) weapons, larger missiles for increased range
taken adequate steps to mature DDG(X) technologies and
mitigate technical, schedule, and cost risk in the program?
and speed, increased magazine depth, growth in
(7) Has the Navy planned adequately for the transition from
organic sensors, and an efficient integrated power
DDG-51 procurement to DDG(X) procurement, and for
system to manage the dynamic loads. [The] DDG
resulting impacts on the shipbuilding industrial base?
51 Flight (FLT) III [design] is highly capable, but
after over 40 years in production and 30 years of
Funding Request
upgrades the [DDG-51] hull form does not provide
The Navy’s proposed FY2025 budget requests $28.3
sufficient space and center of gravity margin to host
million for Project 0411 (DDG[X] Concept Development)
these future capabilities. To reset these design
within Program Element (PE) 0603564N (Ship Preliminary
allowances for the future of naval warfare,
Design & Feasibility Studies), which is line 46 in the
requirements tradeoff and design studies were
Navy’s FY2025 research and development account, and
performed from FY 2018 to FY 2020…. These
$74.5 million for “DDG(X) Power & Propulsion Risk
studies concluded that DDG(X) is required to
Mitigation & Demonstration,” which forms part of Project
deliver the necessary margins and flexibility to
2471 (Integrated Power Systems [IPS]) within PE
succeed the DDG 51 Class as the next enduring
0603573N (Advanced Surface Machinery Systems), which
LSC combining the DDG 51 FLT III combat system
is line 48.
elements with new hull form, an efficient Integrated
Power System (IPS) and greater endurance
The House Armed Services Committee, in its report
reducing the Fleet logistics burden.
(H.Rept. 118-529 of May 31, 2024) on the FY2025
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (H.R. 8070),
(Source: Department of Defense Fiscal Year (FY)
recommends approving the Navy’s funding requests. (Page
2025 Budget Estimates, Navy, Justification Book,
463) The report directs the Government Accountability
Volume 2 of 5, Research, Development, Test &
Office (GAO) to review and provide a briefing on the
Evaluation, Navy, March 2024, p. 498.)
Navy’s large surface combatant programs, with one or more
GAO reports to follow (pages 24-25), and directs the Navy
Procurement Quantities and Procurement Cost
to provide a briefing on propulsion motor technology for
The Navy’s FY2025 30-year shipbuilding plan projects
the DDG(X) program (page 65).
LSCs being procured in FY2032 and subsequent years in
annual quantities of generally one to two ships per year.
The House Appropriations Committee, in its report
(H.Rept. 118-557 of June 17, 2024) on the FY2025 DOD
The October 2023 CBO report estimates the DDG(X)’s
Appropriations Act (H.R. 8774), recommends approving
average procurement cost in constant FY2023 dollars at
the Navy’s funding requests. (Page 186)
$3.2 billion to $3.5 billion—about 33% to 40% more than
the Navy’s estimate (shown in the CBO report) of $2.4
billion to $2.5 billion. The CBO and Navy estimates are
about 45% to 59%, and 9% to 14%, respectively, more than
Ronald O'Rourke, Specialist in Naval Affairs
the DDG-51’s procurement cost of about $2.2 billion. The
CBO report states that “the Navy’s estimates imply that the
IF11679
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Navy DDG(X) Next-Generation Destroyer Program: Background and Issues for Congress
Disclaimer
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