Pentagon Budget 2026: Proposed US Navy spending plan funds carrier production, overhaul
The US Navy's Fiscal Year 2026 budget request includes more funding for aircraft carrier Enterprise, shown here under construction. (Michael Fabey)
The proposed US Navy (USN) Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget requests includes about USD3.3 billion in incremental funding for Ford-class aircraft carriers Enterprise (CVN 80) and Doris Miller (CVN 81), and the first year of advance procurement funding for carrier William J Clinton (CVN 82), according to USN budget documents released 25 June.
The Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition had stressed to lawmakers in March the necessity of retaining advanced procurement for CVN 82 because the carrier funding had been shifted in previous spending plans.
To read more about carrier funding concerns, please see Special Report: Shipbuilders come under scrutiny amid industry warnings of continued funding delays
The USN identified about USD1.6 billion for Doris Miller in FY 2026 in budget documents, noting about USD674.9 million being enacted in FY 2025.
The FY 2026 request also included about USD52.5 million for advanced procurement for carrier Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH).
The Ford-class carriers are replacing the Nimitz-class ships, whose deployments are often being extended to face global challenges and threats. Officers aboard USS Dwight D Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the Red Sea told Janes in June 2024 that maintenance was one of their major concerns – noting that the extension would mean the ship would likely take longer for maintenance later.
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