Crs Report for Congress Navy Lpd-17 Amphibious Ship Procurement

Some Members of Congress this year have expressed interest in the option of procuring a 10th San Antonio (LPD-17) class amphibious ship in FY2009, so as to help meet the Marine Corps' goal for amphibious lift capability. The Navy's proposed FY2009 budget does not request funding for a 10th LPD-17 and instead proposes ending LPD-17 procurement with the ninth ship, which was procured in FY2008. The Navy's planned 313-ship fleet calls for a 31-ship amphibious force that includes 10 LPD-17s, and the Marine Corps states that a 33-ship amphibious force that includes 11 LPD-17s would be required to fully meet the Marine Corps' amphibious lift goal. Procurement of a 10th LPD-17 is the Number 2 item on the Navy's FY2009 Unfunded Requirements List (URL) and the Number 1 item on the Marine Corps' FY2009 URL. Fully funding the procurement of a 10th LPD-17 in FY2009, the Navy and Marine Corps FY2009 URLs state, would cost $1,700 million. Congress, as part of its action on the FY2008 defense budget, provided $50 million in advance procurement funding for a 10th LPD-17. The Marine Corps' goal for amphibious lift is to have a force of amphibious ships with enough combined lift capacity for ...