Analysts warn House’s 100% ship design policy goes a step too far

The policy, spearheaded by the House, will require agreement from the Senate before it stands a chance at becoming law.

By JUSTIN KATZ
on June 12, 2024 at 12:12 PM

WASHINGTON — When the House Armed Services Committee released its markup of the annual defense policy bill, it included a surprising provision: one dictating the Navy should complete a ship’s design “100 percent” before starting lead ship construction.

On its face, the rule seemingly has the potential to delay the already infamously long shipbuilding process, or lead to ships launching into the water with obsolescent technology. But one key advocate for such language says the term “100 percent” would actually reinforce a several-year-old legislative requirement.

This week will mark an important milestone for the language, as the Senate Armed Services Committee is poised to release its own version of the National Defense Authorization Act. Should the SASC back the plan, it may well cruise into law; should they buck their House colleagues’ ideas, it will be a potential sticking point in conference negotiations later this summer.

However, Marine engineers, former Navy officials and defense analysts that spoke to Breaking Defense all expressed skepticism about the value of trying to govern the Pentagon’s shipbuilding process with such a blanket policy.

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