Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress

The aircraft carriers CVN-78, CVN-79, CVN-80, CVN-81, CVN-82, and CVN-83 are the first six ships in the Navy’s new Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) class of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs). The Navy’s proposed FY2026 budget requests $3,431.6 million (i.e., about $3.4 billion) in advance procurement (AP), procurement, and cost-to-complete (CTC) funding for Ford-class ships, as detailed below. CVN-78 (Gerald R. Ford) was procured in FY2008. The ship was commissioned into service on July 22, 2017, and achieved initial operational capability in December 2021. The ship’s first deployment began in October 2022, more than five years after the ship was commissioned into service. CVN-79 (John F. Kennedy) was procured in FY2013. The Navy’s FY2026 budget submission estimates its total procurement cost at $13,196.0 million (i.e., about $13.2 billion), states that the ship is scheduled for delivery in March 2027, and requests $150.0 million in CTC funding to cover cost growth on the ship. CVN-80 (Enterprise) was procured in FY2018. The Navy’s FY2026 budget submission estimates its total procurement cost at $14,247.5 million (i.e., about $14.2 billion), states that the ship is scheduled for delivery in July 2030, and requests $1,046.7 million (i.e., about $1.0 billion) in procurement funding for the ship. CVN-81 (Doris Miller) is treated in this report as a ship that was procured in FY2019, consistent with congressional action on the Navy’s FY2019 budget. (The Navy’s FY2026 budget submission, like its FY2021-FY2025 submissions, shows CVN-81 as a ship that was procured in FY2020.) The Navy’s FY2026 budget submission estimates its total procurement cost at $15,210.6 million (i.e., about $15.2 billion), states that the ship is scheduled for delivery in February 2032, and requests $1,622.9 million (i.e., about $1.6 billion) million in procurement funding for the ship. CVN-80 and CVN-81 were procured under a two-ship block buy contract. CVN-82 (William J. Clinton) was projected under the Navy’s FY2025 budget submission for procurement in FY2030 and delivery in 2040. Its estimated total procurement cost is not available. The Navy’s FY2026 budget submission requests $612.0 million in AP funding for the ship. CVN-83 (George W. Bush) was projected under the Navy’s FY2025 budget submission for procurement in FY2034 and delivery in 2043. Its estimated total procurement cost is not available. The Navy’s FY2026 budget submission requests no AP funding for the ship. Oversight issues for Congress for the CVN-78 program include cost growth and schedule delays in building Ford-class ships, and whether to procure CVN-82 and CVN-83 as a two-ship buy similar to the two-ship buy that was used for procuring CVN-80 and CVN-81.