Capt. Brian Metcalf, a program manager for new aircraft carrier construction at the U.S Navy, has shared that the service branch is internally creating another two-ship pitch that will be presented to Congress for the next carrier procurement from HII, Defense News reported Tuesday.
In an interview ahead of the Enterprise keel laying ceremony, the Navy official said the pitch for the upcoming CVNs 82 and 83 is expected to align with the proposed 2-3-4 plan, or buying two carriers using three years of advanced procurement funding and with a four-year gap between each ship.
“We’ve sent [Congress] several scenarios. The scenario that we believe is optimal is two ships every eight years, on four-year centers,” explained Metcalf.
Earlier, the Navy awarded a single contract to HII for two aircraft carriers and according to the company, the approach enabled it to keep its schedule and maintain budget for CVNs 80 and 81 despite inflation levels.
“We were able to place the vast majority of the orders for 81 before that inflation — so just smart buying by the Navy and the nation and HII, a good strategy to get that ship underway,” said Christopher Kastner, president and CEO of HII.