Carrier Replacement Program

The Carrier Replacement Program is a major Navy shipbuilding initiative under budget line item (LI) 2001, aimed at ensuring the United States maintains a credible, sustainable, and independent forward naval presence. The program's primary goal is to replace aging aircraft carriers with new Ford-class carriers, which are designed to serve as the cornerstone of joint and allied maritime expeditionary forces. These carriers are intended to provide multi-mission offensive operations, crisis response, and peacetime presence, especially in regions where land bases are not available.

The Ford-class Aircraft Carrier (CVN 78/79/80/81/82) is the centerpiece of the Carrier Replacement Program. The Ford-class incorporates significant technological advancements, including a new nuclear reactor plant, improved propulsion and electric systems, the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), and integrated warfare systems. These upgrades are designed to increase lethality, reduce lifecycle costs, and lower maintenance and manning requirements.

The carriers also feature increased Service Life Allowances (SLA) for weight and stability, enabling future modernization and adaptability over a 50-year operational life.

Under the program, CVN 80 and CVN 81 were awarded as a two-ship buy using a Fixed Price Incentive (Firm Target) (FPIF) contract. This approach incentivizes performance, limits Navy liability, and allows for cost savings through engineering rollovers and economic order quantity procurement. The contract ensures a single technical baseline for both ships, minimizing changes and leveraging lessons learned from previous carriers.

The program also includes advance procurement funding for CVN 82, beginning in FY 2026, to support the procurement of long-lead items and de-risk the construction schedule.

Within the Carrier Replacement Program, major ship systems and components are funded and managed through a series of sub-programs. These include the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), which replace legacy steam catapults and arresting gear, offering greater flexibility, reduced manning, and improved reliability. The Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) and Ship Self Defense System (SSDS) provide advanced situational awareness and multi-layered defensive capabilities against air, surface, and subsurface threats.

Other critical systems include the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC), Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP), and the Unmanned Aviation Warfare Center (UAWC) for MQ-25 unmanned aircraft integration.

The electronics and C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) suite for each carrier is extensive. It includes the Consolidated Afloat Network and Enterprise Services (CANES) for network infrastructure, Digital Modular Radio (DMR) for communications, Automatic Carrier Landing System (SPN-46), Interrogator Friend or Foe (IFF), and Distributed Common Ground Station-Navy (DCGS-N) for intelligence processing. These systems are continually updated to address obsolescence, improve interoperability, and support emerging mission requirements, such as unmanned aviation and next-generation aircraft integration.

Advance procurement funding in the Carrier Replacement Program is critical for maintaining construction schedules and supporting the industrial base. In FY 2026, advance procurement for CVN 82 covers long-lead propulsion equipment, reactor plant components, and ordnance systems such as EMALS and AAG. This funding strategy is intended to mitigate schedule and cost risks, ensure timely delivery, and enable efficient resource loading at the shipbuilder, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News Shipbuilding.