Crs Report for Congress: Navy Ddg-1000 and Ddg-51 Destroyer Programs: Background, Oversight Issues, and Options for Congress: September 11, 200

At a July 31, 2008, hearing, Navy officials announced a major change in the service's position on what kind of destroyers it wants to procure over the next several years: The Navy testified that it no longer wants to procure additional Zumwalt (DDG-1000) class destroyers, and instead now wants to restart procurement of Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) destroyers. The Navy has proposed this new path as part of internal Department of Defense (DOD) planning for the FY2010 defense budget to be submitted to Congress in early 2009. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has reserved judgment on the Navy's proposal, pending further analysis, but gave the Navy permission in late July to brief the proposal to Congress. Prior to changing its position, the Navy had wanted to continue procuring DDG1000s, and did not want to procure any more DDG-51s. Navy plans had called for procuring a total of seven DDG-1000s. The first two were procured in FY2007, and the Navy's proposed FY2009 budget, submitted to Congress in February 2008, requests funding for a third. The three DDG-51s procured in FY2005 were to have been the final ships in the DDG-51 program, and Navy budgets since FY2006 have included funding ...