Century Force Structure

The Navy's force structure comprises the hardware - ships, aircraft, weapons, and systems - and, most importantly, highly skilled, motivated, and dedicated people required to operate and maintain it in active and reserve service. The 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review addressed current and projected force structure and force mixes within the contexts of strategy, operational concepts, and threats to U.S. interests. The force-structure outcomes of the QDR's assessments are outlined below.

Force Mix Goals

Force structure requirements depend on the roles, missions, and tasks the Naval Services must perform. As a result of the QDR, the Navy is committed to sustaining a force structure comprising:

· 12 aircraft carrier battle groups - 11 active aircraft carriers and one reserve/training carrier

· 10 active and one reserve carrier air wings (CVWs)

· 12 amphibious ready groups

· 50 nuclear-powered attack submarines

· 14 nuclear-powered strategic ballistic missile submarines

· 116 surface warships - 112 in the active Fleet and four in the Naval Reserve Force

The number of nuclear-powered attack submarines provides a good illustration of the planning challenges for tomorrow's force structure. A force of 50 SSNs in 2003 will allow on-average 11 SSN-years of deployments for the conduct of national missions, theater tasks, and peacetime forward-presence operations annually. This is compared to 16 SSN-years in 1998. [use "back" key to return here] shows the decline in U.S. SSN force levels since the early 1990s, and projections to 2015.) The submarine force is entering an asset-limited rather than the requirements-driven environment of the past.

Unfortunately, frequent contingency operations during the last few years have shown that in meeting these unplanned operational commitments as well as routine deployments, either the number of available submarines must increase, or the days-at-sea goals will almost certainly be exceeded, creating even more challenges for the stewardship of the Navy's people and their equipment. This relationship is inescapable. Indeed, a Joint Chiefs of Staff submarine force-level assessment concluded that some 67-71 SSNs were required to meet likely peacetime and projected crisis-response taskings that exist today and in the future.

Similar dynamics affect America's aircraft carrier force. The unparalleled combat power of the Navy's aircraft carriers and their multimission air wings provides the President with a wide range of options for quick and effective response to crisis or conflict, making them a critical component in America's national security and military strategies. But to ensure America's strategies are successful in these quests, sufficient numbers of aircraft carriers must be sustained to meet operational requirements without over-burdening the Navy's Sailors or their ships, aircraft, and equipment.

Real-world operational experience during the 1990s and numerous studies have confirmed that a force of 15 carriers is needed to satisfy the requirement for full-time carrier presence in critical world regions. That force level, however, is simply unaffordable in todays and future fiscal environments, and the Navy has determined that 12 aircraft carriers enable presence and war-fighting needs to be met at an acceptable level of risk. Fewer than 12 carriers, and operational needs go unmet or we over-tax our people and forces. [Use "back" key to return here] shows the Navy's plan for sustaining the 12-carrier force objective.)

For these reasons, the QDR force levels and mixes are the minimum essential force to satisfy the needs of America's security and military strategies. They serve as the foundation for meeting today's commitments as the Navy continues its transformation for 21st-century operations.