The House Armed Services Committee’s defense policy bill, approved Thursday, includes a provision that would create a new commission to study the Navy’s future force structure and shipbuilding with an eye for potential legislative action.

This amendment, sponsored by Rep Elaine Luria (D-Va.), was included in the chairman’s mark en bloc amendment package two, which was approved by the full committee.

This “National Commission on the Future of the Navy” would have eight members, a mix of both legislators and experts. Two members each would be proposed by the chairmen and ranking members of both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, with one of the pair of selectees a member of that chamber of Congress and the other not a legislator.

According to the bill, the commission members would be appointed within 90 days of the act being enacted and hold its first meeting within 30 days of all members being appointed.

The bill says the commission’s duties include a detailed study on naval force structure as well as shipbuilding and innovation and to deliver a report to the defense committees by July 2024 along with recommendations for legislative actions it considers appropriate.

“My amendment to study the future of the Navy will ensure that the world’s most formidable maritime force remains a strong deterrent capable of projecting strength and defending our nation at a moment’s notice anywhere in the world. I have repeatedly criticized the Navy for not having a strategy, and this is a step toward improving our naval and shipbuilding strategy and strengthening our national security,” Luria said in a statement after the amendment was approved.

According to the language, the commission would “undertake a comprehensive study of the structure of the Navy and policy assumptions related to the size and force mixture of the Navy” to make recommendations on the size and force mixture of ships and aviation assets.

Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 fly over the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), front left, America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7), front center, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), front right, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG -3), middle left, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG-65), middle center, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG-54), middle right, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG-111), back left, and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), back right, as they sail in formation during the biennial field training exercise Valiant Shield 2022 in the Philippine Sea. (Photo: U.S. Navy by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Thaddeus Berry)
Aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 fly over the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), front left, America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7), front center, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), front right, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG -3), middle left, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG-65), middle center, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG-54), middle right, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG-111), back left, and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), back right, as they sail in formation during the biennial field training exercise Valiant Shield 2022 in the Philippine Sea. (Photo: U.S. Navy by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Thaddeus Berry)

In studying these factors, the commission is required to conduct an evaluation and identification of several factors.

This includes evaluating a structure for the Navy that can meet current and anticipated requirements of combatant commands; assumes three different funding levels: 2023 appropriated plus inflation, 2023 appropriated with three to five percent real growth, and unconstrained to meet the needs for war in Europe and the Pacific theaters; ensures the Navy has capacity needed to support current and anticipated homeland defense and disasters assistance missions; provides enough servicemembers to ensure a 115 percent manning level of all deployed ships; recommends a peacetime rotation force operational tempo goals; recommends forward stationing requirements; and manages strategic and operational risks via tradeoffs with readiness, efficiency, effectiveness, capability and affordability.

The commission is also directed to evaluate and identify combatant command demand and fleet size, with recommendations to support a balance of readiness, training, routine ship maintenance, personnel, forward presence and depot-level ship maintenance.

Notably, the commissions would include a detailed review of the cost of recapitalizing the nuclear triad in the Defense Department and its effect on the Navy’s budget.

Navy leadership has repeatedly said the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) is its highest priority, to the extent that if funding becomes an issue, the SSBN would receive funds over other priorities.

The Columbia-class SSBN is due to replace the aging Ohio-class SSBNs, with the first new vessel expected to start its first patrol by 2031.

The commission’s study on shipbuilding issues is directed to consider recommendations for changes to the Shipyard infrastructure Optimization Program; ship design and build programs to rescue risk and cost and accelerate built timelines; and changes to the ship depot maintenance program to reduce overhaul timelines, integrate technology into ships and reduce costs.

According to the bill, the commission is due to submit an unclassified report to the congressional defense committees by July 2024. The commission is also set to “terminate” five years after the act is enacted.

The FY ‘23 National Defense Authorization Act, with this provision included, was approved by the full HASC almost unanimously and is now going to the House floor (Defense Daily, June 23).