Options for Combining the Navy's and the Coast Guard's Small Combatant Programs

"As part of their long-term procurement strategies, the Navy and the Coast Guard are each in the process of developing and building two types of small combatants. The Navy is building two versions of its new littoral combat ship, and the Coast Guard is building replacements for its existing classes of high-endurance cutters and medium-endurance cutters. Although all four types of ship are about the same size, they are designed to perform different missions. If the Navy's and Coast Guard's plans for their small combatant programs are fully implemented, the two services combined will spend over $47 billion over the next 20 years purchasing 83 of those ships. In light of the many pressures on the budgets of the Navy and the Coast Guard, some policymakers and analysts have questioned whether the services could combine their small combatant programs in ways that still meet their requirements but save money. This Congressional Budget Office (CBO) paper, prepared at the request of the Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee, examines three alternatives that might allow the Navy and the Coast Guard to consolidate their small combatant programs."--Pref.