I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 941 

To increase the number of operational aircraft carriers of the Navy, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 7, 2017 

Mr. CONAWAY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To increase the number of operational aircraft carriers of 

the Navy, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘12 Carrier Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) The aircraft carrier can fulfill the Navy’s 

8 core missions of forward presence, sea control, en9 suring safe sea lanes, and power projection as well 


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1 as providing flexibility and versatility to execute a 

2 wide range of additional missions. 

3 (2) Forward airpower is integral to the security 

4 and joint forces operations of the United States. 

5 Carriers play a central role in delivering forward air6 power from sovereign territory of the United States 

7 in both permissive and nonpermissive environments. 

8 (3) Aircraft carriers provide our Nation the 

9 ability to rapidly and decisively respond to national 

10 threats, as well as conducting worldwide, on-station 

11 diplomacy and providing deterrence against threats 

12 to the United States allies, partners, and friends. 

13 (4) Since the end of the cold war, aircraft car14 rier deployments have increased while the aircraft 

15 carrier force structure has declined. 

16 (5) Considering the increased array of complex 

17 threats across the globe, the Navy aircraft carrier is 

18 operating at maximum capacity, increasing deploy19 ment lengths and decreasing maintenance periods in 

20 order to meet operational requirements. 

21 (6) To meet global peacetime and wartime re22 quirements, the Navy has indicated a requirement to 

23 maintain two aircraft carriers deployed overseas and 

24 have three additional aircraft carrier capable of de25 ploying within 90 days. However, the Navy has indiVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:03 Feb 16, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H941.IH H941

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1 cated that the existing aircraft carrier force struc2 ture cannot support these military requirements. 

3 (7) Despite the requirement to maintain an air4 craft carrier strike group in both the United States 

5 Central Command and United States Pacific Com6 mand, the Navy has been unable to generate suffi7 cient capacity to support our combatant com8 manders and has developed significant carrier gaps 

9 in these critical areas. 

10 (8) Because of continuing use of a diminished 

11 aircraft carrier force structure, extensive mainte12 nance availabilities result which typically exceed pro13 gram costs and increase time in shipyards. These ex14 pansive maintenance availabilities exacerbate exist15 ing carrier gaps. 

16 (9) Because of maintenance overhaul exten17 sions, the Navy is truncating basic aircraft carrier 

18 training to expedite the deployment of available air19 craft carriers. Limiting aircraft carrier training de20 creases operational capabilities and increases sailor 

21 risk. 

22 (10) Despite the objections of the Navy, the 

23 Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Tech24 nology, and Logistics directed the Navy on August 

25 7, 2015, to perform shock trials on the U.S.S. GerVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:03 Feb 16, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H941.IH H941

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1 ald R. Ford (CVN–78). The Assistant Deputy Chief 

2 of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and 

3 Strategy indicated that this action could delay the 

4 introduction of the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford (CVN– 

5 78) to the fleet by up to two years, exacerbating ex6 isting carrier gaps. 

7 (11) The Navy has adopted a two-phase acqui8 sition strategy for the U.S.S. John F. Kennedy 

9 (CVN–79), an action that will delay the introduction 

10 of this aircraft carrier by up to two years, exacer11 bating existing carrier gaps. 

12 (12) Developing an alternative design to the 

13 Ford-class aircraft carrier is not cost beneficial. A 

14 smaller design is projected to incur significant de15 sign and engineering cost while significantly reduc16 ing magazine size, carrier air wing size, sortie rate, 

17 and on-station effectiveness among other vital fac18 tors when compared to the Ford-class. Furthermore, 

19 a new design will delay the introduction of future 

20 aircraft carriers, exacerbating existing carrier gaps 

21 and threatening the national security of the United 

22 States. 

23 (13) The 2016 Navy Force Structure Assess24 ment states ‘‘A minimum of 12 aircraft carriers are 

25 required to meet the increased warfighting response 


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1 requirements of the Defense Planning Guidance De2 feat/Deny force sizing direction.’’ 

3 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con4 gress that— 

5 (1) the United States should expedite delivery 

6 of 12 aircraft carriers; 

7 (2) an aircraft carrier should be authorized 

8 every three years; 

9 (3) shock trials should be conducted on the 

10 U.S.S. John F. Kennedy (CVN–79), as initially pro11 posed by the Navy; 

12 (4) construction for the U.S.S. John F. Ken13 nedy (CVN–79) should be accomplished in a single 

14 phase; 

15 (5) the United States should continue the Ford16 class design for CVN–81; and 

17 (6) bulk procurement initiatives for CVN–80 

18 and CVN–81 should be pursued. 

19 SEC. 3. SHOCK TRIALS FOR CVN–78. 

20 Section 128(b)(1) of the National Defense Authoriza21 tion Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (Public Law 114–92; 129 

22 Stat. 751) is amended by striking ‘‘prior to the first de23 ployment of such ship’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. INCREASE IN NUMBER OF OPERATIONAL AIRCRAFT 

2 CARRIERS OF THE NAVY. 

3 (a) INCREASE.—Section 5062(b) of title 10, United 

4 States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘11 operational air5 craft carriers’’ and inserting ‘‘12 operational aircraft car6 riers’’. 

7 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

8 subsection (a) shall take effect on September 30, 2023. 

Æ 


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