TAO Fleet Oiler

The Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program is a key component within the Navy's Shipbuilding and Conversion budget, specifically under the Amphibious Ships subactivity. The ESB is designed to serve as a dedicated Naval Afloat Forward Staging Base, optimized to support a variety of naval missions, including special operations, mine countermeasures, and logistics support. The program's primary objective is to provide Combatant Commanders with flexible platforms capable of hosting task-organized forces and responding rapidly to emerging threats. ESBs retain inherent sealift capabilities but are enhanced with aviation facilities, berthing, small boat handling, and advanced command and control systems to support broader mission sets.

The ESB line item covers procurement and completion funding for multiple ships, with ESB 8 being the most recent unit under contract. The budget includes cost-to-complete funds for ESB 8, addressing economic price adjustments and government-responsible portions of contract overruns. The ship's production schedule has been affected by external factors, such as flash flooding at the NASSCO shipbuilding facility, which delayed key milestones. The ESB program justifies its funding by emphasizing enhanced logistics, underway replenishment capability, and C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) support for future missions, thereby increasing operational flexibility and readiness.

The Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program, formerly known as the Joint High Speed Vessel, is another critical line item under Amphibious Ships. EPFs are aluminum catamarans designed to provide high-speed intra-theater sealift and cargo handling capabilities, supporting rapid deployment and unit integrity for joint forces. The program's goals include enabling combatant commanders to achieve positional advantage over operational distances and operate in austere port environments. EPFs 15 and 16, as well as EMS 1-3, are being modified to conduct Role 2 Enhanced (R2E) Medical Transport missions, which will include advanced medical capabilities to support embarked Medical Military Detachment teams while retaining their core transport functionality.

The EPF budget includes cost-to-complete funds for EPF 16, addressing government contract overruns and implementing best practices in aluminum welding. The production schedule for EPF units is managed by Austal, with delivery dates extending through future fiscal years for EMS 3. The program's justification centers on the need for responsive, agile, and sustainable lift assets that can decrease predictability and dwell time, ensuring assured access and rapid delivery of troops and equipment. The EPF's ability to operate outside major ports and its enhanced medical transport modifications further support joint operational requirements and humanitarian missions.

The TAO Fleet Oiler program, under the Auxiliaries, Craft, and Prior-Year Program Costs activity, focuses on recapitalizing the Navy's Combat Logistics Force (CLF) with the T-AO 205 John Lewis Fleet Oiler Class. These oilers supply fuel and dry cargo to Navy ships at sea, operating as shuttle ships between resupply posts and customer ships, and accompanying Carrier Strike Groups to provide sustained fuel support. The request includes discretionary and mandatory funding, supporting the contract award for two T-AO Fleet Oilers and financing economic price adjustments for prior-year ships.

The TAO Fleet Oiler line item details significant investments in ship electronics, hull, mechanical, and electrical systems, with upgrades to the Network Management System (NMS) 2.0 and transition to the Navy Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) program. These upgrades are intended to deliver next-generation afloat network computing and services infrastructure, supporting communications and network capabilities for CLF platforms. The program also funds engineering services, logistics support, and lifecycle replacement of key systems, such as the Improved Point Detection System (IPDS-LR), to maintain operational readiness and compliance with evolving requirements.

These programs ESB, EPF, and TAO Fleet Oiler reflect the Navy's emphasis on modernizing and expanding the fleet's expeditionary, transport, and logistics capabilities. Each program addresses specific operational gaps, such as forward staging, rapid intra-theater transport, and sustained at-sea replenishment, while also incorporating lessons learned and best practices to improve cost efficiency and resilience. The requested funds support ship construction and outfitting, as well as integration of advanced communications, medical, and support systems, ensuring these platforms remain relevant and effective in future joint and naval operations.