Eight-ship Navy shipbuilding request faces Congressional push back - Marine Log

The Navy’s FY 2021 budget request includes $4.0 billion for the first Columbia class ballistic missile submarine. That $4.0 billion, says the Navy, “will provide the first of three years of incremental full funding for this ship. Additionally, the FY 2021 funding request will continue detailed design efforts, continuous missile tube production, and advanced construction and procurement of major hull components and propulsion systems for the planned FY 2024 procurement of the second ship in the class.”

The Navy has long said that the Columbia class is its highest priority — and analysts have long warned that the Columbia program is so expensive that it could substantially reduce funding available for any other shipbuilding program.

Be that as it may, the FY 2021 request of $19.9 billion funds construction of just eight ships — about $4 billion and four ships less than the FY 2020 ship procurement

There are signs that the request will face significant Congressional push back