Evolution of U.S. naval surface combatant design and acquisition policies. Discussion

U.S. Naval ship design has experienced fundamental changes over the past 50 years due to the challenges posed by new threats, new missions, and new technologies. In addition, fiscal constraints and significant reduction in in-house engineering staff have had to be contended with. In today's defense environment, the Navy realizes that it must do more with fewer financial and human resources than it has in the past. The Navy must determine where best to allocate its limited resources, as well as the appropriate balance of design effort, control, and risk sharing between the government and industry. This paper shows that a spectrum of approaches to ship design and procurement exists. These range from the Navy doing everything at one extreme, to industry doing everything at the other. Over the past 50 years, there have been many attempts to find the appropriate balance between these two extremes, but no single strategy has withstood the test of time. The fundamental conclusion of this paper is that as the Navy continues to reduce its engineering staff, it is essential that it remain an informed buyer. The Navy must be able to identify and articulate its requirements, understand what engineering resources are available, both in-house and external, evaluate the costs and benefits of different strategies, and be able to judge its own work, as well as the work of industry to ensure that ships continue to be designed safely and effectively to meet the Navy 's needs. Only through these efforts and the continued dedication of public and private sector partnerships can the U.S. Navy continue to produce the most militarily effective fleet in the world.