Some Members of Congress, particularly on the House Armed Services Committee, have expressed interest in expanding the use of nuclear power to a wider array of Navy surface ships, including the Navy's planned CG(X) cruiser. Section 1012 of the FY2008 Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4986/P.L. 110-181 of January 28, 2008) makes it U.S. policy to construct the major combatant ships of the Navy, including the CG(X), with integrated nuclear power systems, unless the Secretary of Defense submits a notification to Congress that the inclusion of an integrated nuclear power system in a given class of ship is not in the national interest. The Navy has studied nuclear power as a design option for the CG(X), but has not yet announced whether it would prefer to build the CG(X) as a nuclear-powered ship. A 2006 Navy study concluded the following, among other things: (1) in constant FY2007 dollars, building a Navy surface combatant or amphibious ship with nuclear power rather than conventional power would add roughly $600-$800 million to its procurement cost; (2) the total life-cycle cost of a nuclear-powered medium-size surface combatant would equal that of a conventionally powered medium-size surface combatant if the cost of crude oil averages $70 per barrel to $225 per barrel over the life of the ship; (3) nuclear power should be considered for near-term applications for medium-size surface combatants; and (4) compared to conventionally powered ships, nuclear- powered ships have advantages in terms of both time needed to surge to a distant theater of operation for a contingency, and in terms of operational presence (time on station) in the theater of operation. In assessing whether the CG(X) or other future Navy surface ships should be nuclear-powered, Congress may consider a number of issues, including cost, operational effectiveness, ship construction, ship maintenance and repair, crew training, ports calls and forward homeporting, and environmental impact.
Navy Nuclear-Powered Surface Ships: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
2008
33 pages
Report
No indication
English
Business & Economics , Marine Engineering , Logistics Military Facilities & Supplies , Cruisers , Nuclear powered ships , Operational effectiveness , Naval vessels(Combatant) , Naval procurement , Life cycle costs , Legislation , Shipyards , Crude oil , Naval training , Shipbuilding , Fuel consumption , Environmental impact , Life expectancy(Service life) , Amphibious ships , Maintenance , Mobility , Cg(X) class vessels , Development costs , Design costs , Procurement costs , Fuel costs , Time on station , Crew training , Port calls , Forward homeporting , Ship fuels