US Navy’s DDG(X) Next-Gen Destroyer funding rises to $153.5 million after Congress boost.

The US Congress increased funding for the U.S. Navy’s DDG(X) next-generation destroyer program to $153.5 million, according to a September 12 CRS report.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) confirmed on September 12, 2025, that lawmakers expanded funding for the U.S. Navy’s DDG(X) next-generation destroyer program, raising research and development support to $153.5 million. The increase includes an extra $20 million for ship concept design on top of the Navy’s $133.5 million request. It matters because Congress is steering resources toward propulsion risk reduction and early-stage design to avoid cost overruns before full procurement begins in FY2032.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

The DDG(X) program originated after the cancellation of the CG(X) cruiser and the reduction of Zumwalt-class procurement to three ships. (Picture source: US Navy)

On September 12, 2025, a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report indicated that the US Congress has taken action to expand funding for the U.S. Navy’s DDG(X) next-generation destroyer program, with new recommendations beyond what the service originally requested. The update specifies a House Armed Services Committee recommendation to add $20.0 million for Ship Concept Advanced Design, identified as line 45 under Program Element (PE) 0603563N. This is in addition to the Navy’s FY2026 request of $133.5 million for DDG(X) research and development. That request includes $51.6 million for Project 0411 Concept Development (line 46) and $81.9 million for Power and Propulsion Risk Mitigation (line 48). These changes emphasize early design maturity and propulsion integration before detail design begins in the 2030s, at a point when DDG(X) is expected to succeed Ticonderoga-class cruisers and older Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

Congressional committee positions clarify how funds are being directed and how oversight is structured. The House Armed Services Committee’s August 19, 2025 report (H.Rept. 119-231) recommends approving the Navy’s requests for lines 46 and 48 while adding $20.0 million to line 45. The Senate Armed Services Committee (S.Rept. 119-39, July 15, 2025) supports the requested amounts and directs a briefing on the program. The House Appropriations Committee (H.Rept. 119-162, June 16, 2025) recommends $93.9 million for line 46 and adds $30.0 million to line 48 for development and test of dual propulsion motors. The Senate Appropriations Committee (S.Rept. 119-52, July 31, 2025) recommends approving the Navy’s request for lines 46 and 48. These actions collectively raise the overall resources available for propulsion testing and early ship design studies, while requiring regular updates to Congress.

The September CRS update also adjusted the framing of “Issues for Congress” by narrowing the list from seven items in the August 7 version to five. In August, oversight questions began with whether a new large surface combatant larger than Flight III DDG-51s would be consistent with a more distributed fleet, followed by issues of cost-effectiveness, capability requirements, cost estimates, affordability within budgets, and procurement priorities. In September, the distributed fleet question was removed, and the reordered list asked if DDG(X) is more cost-effective than a lengthened DDG-51, whether operational capabilities are correctly defined, whether budgets can support the program alongside other needs, whether technical and cost risks are being addressed, and whether the Navy is planning adequately for the transition from DDG-51 procurement to DDG(X). This reorientation focuses oversight on cost and schedule management rather than fleet-level architecture.

The DDG(X) program itself is structured to provide capabilities beyond what the Arleigh Burke-class hull can host after more than three decades of upgrades. The Navy approved top-level requirements in December 2020 that specify integration of Flight III Aegis combat system elements, additional margins in space, weight, power, and cooling, an integrated power system, reduced signatures, increased cruising range, longer time on station, and higher weapon capacity. According to a January 2025 Congressional Budget Office report, the initial design displacement is 14,500 tons, 1,000 tons more than the FY2024 plan and about 49.5 percent greater than a Flight III DDG-51. Current conceptual designs also suggest a length of approximately 180 meters (about 590 feet). These requirements are intended to accommodate future systems such as directed-energy weapons and hypersonic missiles.

The baseline design for DDG(X) is planned to include 96 Mk 41 Vertical Launch System cells, with an option to replace 32 of these with 12 large missile launch cells to accommodate larger-diameter missiles. Two 21-cell Rolling Airframe Missile launchers are also part of the design, and the ship may be built with an additional mid-body hull section called the Destroyer Payload Module to increase internal volume and payload capacity. CRS notes that design studies performed between FY2018 and FY2020 concluded that only a new hull form with an efficient integrated power system could provide the necessary margins for future growth, rather than modifications of existing ships. Navy renderings have shown evolving concepts that alter the arrangement of vertical launchers, radar modules, and exhaust systems to improve radar integration and signature management.

Cost projections highlight a gap between Navy and CBO estimates. The Navy estimates an average procurement cost of $3.3 billion per ship in FY2024 dollars, while the CBO estimates $4.4 billion, about one-third higher. The CBO notes that the Navy’s estimate would make DDG(X) only 22 percent more expensive than Flight III DDG-51s despite a displacement increase of 50 percent, a relationship it views as unlikely based on historical cost growth in surface combatants. The Government Accountability Office has also pointed to requirement changes approved in August 2024 that increased speed and electrical power needs, stating that these may alter program cost and schedule projections. GAO also noted that land-based integrated power system results may not fully inform the detailed design phase. These findings reinforce congressional emphasis on propulsion testing and early-stage design funding.

The propulsion system is central to DDG(X) risk management. The program will use an integrated power system derived from Zumwalt-class experience to provide electrical power for all ship systems, including future high-energy weapons. Land-based testing is being conducted at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Philadelphia, which was established with $122 million to replicate shipboard electrical loads. Fairbanks Morse Defense’s FM 175D high-speed diesel generator, launched to the U.S. market in 2023, has been selected for installation at this test site to validate energy production, efficiency, and reliability. The FM 175D can generate between 1.74 and 4.4 megawatts depending on configuration, features a 175 mm bore and 215 mm stroke, and is available in 12-, 16-, or 20-cylinder formats with four-stroke cycle operation. It integrates a high-efficiency turbocharger, common-rail fuel injection, mounted control system, and auxiliary power take-offs. Configurations vary in size and weight, with propulsion models weighing around 13.3 tons and generator models up to 27 tons. Testing will ensure that the system can supply power for propulsion, combat systems, and advanced weapons under representative conditions.

The DDG(X) program originated after the cancellation of the CG(X) cruiser and the reduction of Zumwalt-class procurement to three ships. It was formally established as PMS 460 in 2021 under the Large Surface Combatant initiative. The program is designed to replace 22 Ticonderoga-class cruisers, procured between FY1978 and FY1988, and 28 early Arleigh Burke destroyers, with the Ticonderogas scheduled to be fully retired by FY2027. Large surface combatants have historically been built by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls Shipbuilding, with Lockheed Martin and Raytheon as major combat system suppliers and hundreds of smaller firms supporting the industrial base. According to the Navy’s 30-year shipbuilding plan, DDG(X) procurement is scheduled to begin in FY2032 at a rate of one to two ships per year. This timeline, combined with the retirement of older cruisers and destroyers, reinforces why Congress is prioritizing design studies, propulsion risk reduction, and oversight of cost and schedule estimates.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.