Eric Labs, Ph.D., Senior Analyst for Naval Forces and Weapons, Congressional Budget Office

Great content.

Cogent analysis and content. So many problems. Innovation will be key - at it ALWAYS is!

We should change the laws to make it feasible to purchase large combatant vessels built by allies when our own shipbuilding is at maximum capacity for the near term. This would allow for example contracting with South Korean companies to build some cruisers to replace the retiring Ticonderoga class. If any US shipbuilders protest simply give them contracts for more Arleigh Burke class and make them prove that they can expand production in a timely manner while still meeting quality expectations. With all US shipyards full up with orders past 100% of their likely capacity and all means of expanding capacity also taken, using allies is a reasonable option. Other countries that have placed orders for military vessels from Korea have had much lower costs and much faster delivery times than was possible with domestic production. In particular, the US could build a variant of the King Sejong the Great class with expanded command facilities, US weapons, US systems, and overall capabilities to match or exceed flight III Arleigh Burke class destroyers by using similar components but with space for more of them.

Comparison for quick reference:

Spruance class destroyer whose hull was the basis for the Ticonderoga class design - 8,170 t full load, 172m length, 17m beam.

Ticonderoga class cruiser - 9,800 t full load, 173m length, 17m beam, up to 122 VLS cells.

Arleigh Burke class flight III - 9,900 t full load, 155m length, 20m beam, 96 VLS cells.

Sejong the Great class destroyer batch II - 12,000 t full load, 170m length, 21m beam, (128 mk41 or equivalent VLS in batch I configuration) 64 mk41 or equivalent VLS cells + 24 larger VLS for longer range missiles in batch II.


A cruiser built on a Sejong the Great hull could provide more capable ballistic missile defense than Arleigh Burke class destroyers (more VLS or a mix of mk41 and larger VLS such as CPS) plus provide some fleet command facilities at much lower cost than possible with US shipbuilders and with deliveries starting very soon, possibly even by 2027 if contracts were signed now and no major changes were made to the existing hull design. Congress and the USN should give this option serious consideration.