Secretary THOMAS. No, Mr. Chairman; I have no other statement at this time. The CHAIRMAN. Now, for the record, Mr. Secretary, I think we should inquire in regard to the current shipbuilding and conversion program. As I understand it, as of February 1, 1955, there were 105 naval vessels being built in the United States. Then, in addition, there were 13 naval vessels authorized but not yet awarded or assigned, making a total of 118 vessels under construction or authorized, but not yet under construction. Some 1,100 landing and other small craft, which vary in tonnage up to 67 tons, are also under construction for the Navy. These vessels and craft are built in eighty-odd private and naval shipyards throughout the United States. Among the 118 vessels mentioned above, 35 are classified as major combatant, in the following types: 4 Forrestal class aircraft carriers, 11 destroyers, 11 escort vessels, 4 nuclear-powered submarines, 3 conventional submarines, and 2 radar picket submarines. These 35 ships are being built in the following yards-and I have the yards and I won't trespass on the committee in reading. Now, the total estimated cost of the 118 naval vessels under construction or authorized but not under construction is $2,289 million. The total estimated cost of the approximately 1,100 craft is $40 million, making a total cost of $2,329 million for all naval vessels and craft under construction or authorized but not yet under construction. All of the money necessary for the program now going on has been appropriated. The appropriation request for fiscal 1956 is $1,317 million. Now, that is briefly the picture of the present construction program; is it not? Secretary THOMAS. That is correct, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Let that be put in the record now. (The information referred to is as follows:) CURRENT SHIPBUILDING AND CONVERSION PROGRAM As of February 1, 1955, there were 105 naval vessels being built in the United States. In addition, there were 13 naval vessels authorized but not yet awarded or assigned, making a total of 118 naval vessels under construction, or authorized but not yet under construction. Some 1,100 landing and other small craft, which vary in tonnage up to about 67 tons, are also under construction for the Navy. These vessels and craft are being built in eighty-odd private and naval shipyards throughout the United States. Among the 118 vessels mentioned above, 35 are classified as major combatant ships, in the following types: Forrestal class aircraft carriers (including Forrestal). Destroyers-- Escort vessels Nuclear-powered submarines (including Nautilus) Conventional submarines Radar picket submarines 11 11 These 35 ships are being built in the following yards: 1 Productive shipyard work on these 2 submarines will commence when contract plans have been completed. The total estimated cost of the 118 naval vessels under construction, or authorized but not under construction, is $2,289 million. The total estimated cost of the approximately 1,100 craft is $40 million, making a total estimated cost of $2,329 million for all naval vessels and craft under construction, or authorized but not yet under construction. All of the money necessary for the program now going on has been appropriated. The appropriation request for fiscal year 1956 is $1,317 million. The four Forrestal-type carriers now under construction are named Forrestal, Saratoga, Ranger, and Independence. The fifth carrier will be named the U. S. S. Congress. The average estimated unit cost of the four Forrestal-class aircraft carriers authorized to date is approximately $193,239,000. The other major combatant ships have average estimated unit costs as indicated below: Destroyers (DD) Escort vessels (DE). Nuclear-powered submarines (SSN). Attack submarines (SS) _____ Radar picket submarines (SSR)__. Million $30.9 12.3 57.2 25.6 28.0 The Forrestal-type carriers take approximately 3 years to build and 1 will be completed in 1956 and 1 each succeeding year. In addition to the foregoing fleet naval vessels, 4 tankers, having a total estimated cost of $30 million, are being constructed for MSTS. Seven other cargo ships, having a total estimated cost of $50 million, are authorized for MSTS but not yet awarded. Thirty-nine conversions of existing vessels are now in progress. The total estimated cost of these conversions is $629 million. Thus the combined total cost of the Navy's current construction and conversion programs is estimated at about $3 billion. However, it is pointed out that only about $1.7 billion of this total remains to be expended. The last of the naval vessels now being built will be completed in August 1958 (CVA-62). Following are completion dates of the four carriers now under construction: CVA-59-October 1955 CVA-60-February 1956 CVA-61-June 1957 CVA-62-August 1958 The CHAIRMAN. Are there any questions any members want to ask the Secretary in regard to the shipbuilding program we have underway? Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. Chairman, could I ask you a question? The CHAIRMAN. Yes, sir. Mr. JOHNSON. You mentioned that all these were being built in private yards. The CHAIRMAN. Oh, no. Here they are. Thirty-five ships are being built as follows Mr. JOHNSON. I don't care about the particular private yards. But aren't they being built in navy yards like Mare Island? The CHAIRMAN. Oh, yes, they are being built-yes, here is one attack submarine being built at Mare Island. One attack submarine at Portsmouth Navy Yard. Two radar submarines at Portsmouth Yard. One nuclear-powered, at Portsmouth Navy Yard. Mr. JOHNSON. It will all go in the record? The CHAIRMAN. Yes. Mr. JOHNSON. That is all I want. The CHAIRMAN. This gives a complete breakdown. The CHAIRMAN. Go ahead, Mr. Hess. Mr. Hess. Mr. Secretary, may I ask this question: I noticed in your program you have some conversions here. Would you mind telling us what has happened to the old battleship Kentucky that was laid down and was in process of construction, and then construction was stopped? Secretary THOMAS. Well, they started conversion work on it, and I will ask Admiral Leggett, who can give you the details of it more than I can. It was started and then stopped and he will tell you the reasons why. The CHAIRMAN. Now, in that connection Admiral LEGGETT. No, sir, it was not started and stopped, sir. It wasnt' started. It was considered. We did go over the possible uses for the Kentucky, but actually no conversion was started. She is today in a status of about 56 percent complete, I think it is, tied up to a pier over by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock. Mr. HESS. Is there any work going on here at all? Admiral LEGGETT. No work going on. Mr. HESS. One time I know they considered using her as a guidedmissile ship. Admiral LEGGETT. That is correct, we did consider it. Mr. HESS. And have you given up that idea? Admiral LEGGETT. For the moment, yes, sir. Mr. HESS. Are there any other ships that are in a similar status? The CHAIRMAN. Sixteen. Admiral LEGGETT. The Kentucky, I think, is the only ship we have in a partially complete status today, which is being retained. There are other ships which are considered; that is have been considered for conversion, a number of them having been considered for conver 55066-55-No. 9- -6 sion-the two guided-missiles ships that are being converted now. There is a cruiser in this year's program for conversion. The Hawaii was considered for conversion to a command ship and also to a guided-missile ship. She is up in Philadelphia now in a nonstarted basis. The CHAIRMAN. May I interrupt, Mr. Hess? Mr. HESS. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Admiral, my understanding was that they adopted the policy that if a ship failed to be more than 20 percent compete at a certain time, we would stop work on that ship; isn't that correct? Admiral LEGGETT. At the end of the war, sir, I think that is cor rect. The CHAIRMAN. All right. How many ships fell in that less than 20 percent? Some 16, wasn't it? Admiral LEGGETT. I don't know the exact number, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Well, what became of those ships? Admiral LEGGETT. Some of them we have scrapped. Some of them we have actually completed, even though they weren't more than The CHAIRMAN. Well, now, I wish you would get up in the record and show what you did with those ships that were under 20 percent completed, that we adopted a policy that we would stop building, which included the Kentucky. And put in the record what became of those ships and whether they have been scrapped or whether they are just standing in the yards half finished, and what type ships they were. Admiral LEGGETT. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. So we can have a complete picture of the shipbuilding program all the time. That is the reason I had Mr. Kelleher fix up this statement that I have just read, so we can be conversant with what was going on. Now we have a big problem behind us and we are laying down a big program now. Admiral LEGGETT. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. And we want to keep tab on it, because it is our responsibility to know. So before we started on this program which I referred to a moment ago, there was a previous authorization and we adopted the policy that, if the ships were not 20 percent complete, to abandon them. sir. Now let's see what became of those ships. Put it in the record. Admiral LEGGETT. We will furnish that information for the record, (The information requested is as follows:) STATUS AND DISPOSITION OF UNCOMPLETED IRNV1 SHIPS 1. Upon termination of World War II, legislative action was taken by the Congress to reduce outstanding appropriations and contract authorizations previously made available for defense purposes. The Frst Supplemental Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act (Public Law 301, 79th Cong.), approved on February 18, 1946, limited the availability of IRNV funds for fiscal 1946 to the construction of a specified number of naval ships and craft. The aforementioned act was amended on May 27, 1946, by the Second Supplemental Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act (Public Law 391, 79th Cong.) which provided: "That the proviso in Public Law 301, 79th Congress, approved February 18, 1946, under the head of 'Increase and replacement of naval vessels, emergency 1 Increase and replacement of naval vessels. construction', is amended to the extent that combatant vessels under construction on March 1, 1946, whose percentage of construction exceeded 20 per centum on that date will be completed." 2. As of March 26, 1951, all IRNV ships which were more than 20 percent complete on March 1, 1946, had been completed or were scheduled for completion, except the following: Kentucky (BB-66) Castle (DD-720) Woodrow R. Thompson (DD-721) Lansdale (DD-766) Seymour D. Owens (DD-768) Hoel (DD-768) Abner Read (DD-769) Seaman (DD-791) Wagner (DE-539) The act of June 19, 1948 (Public Law 690, 80th Cong.) authorized the President, in his discretion, to suspend construction of 13 of the foregoing 16 ships. This authority to suspend construction did not apply to the Lancetfish (SS-296), the Turbot (SS-427), and the Ulna (SS-428). However, the act of August 23, 1954 (Public Law 622, 83d Cong) provided such authority with respect to the Lancetfish and Turbot. 3. Enactment of Public Law 690 helped to justify the Navy's 1949 program. The Secretary of the Navy, in a statement before a Subcommittee on Heavy Munitions of the House Armed Services Committee, summarized the situation as follows: "We seek the suspension of construction on 13 vessels, in which we could at some future date incorporate the developments which our research may indicate. While deferring the completion of these ships, funds in lesser amount are sought in the defense budget for the fiscal year 1949 to lay down a shipbuilding and conversion program of prototypes which will insure that your Navy continues to take advantage of the latest in science and research. Accordingly, the Navy recommends the enactment of the proposed legislation, which will make possible the 1949 building program." 4. The Bureau of the Budget, in a letter to the Secretary of the Navy dated December 19, 1947, had approved the construction of the U. S. S. United States (CVA-58) in consideration of the Navy's suspension of work on the Kentucky (BB-66) and the Hawaii (CB-3). Public Law 690, as finally adopted, however, included 11 other ships. Suspension of work on the entire 13, therefore, can be considered as offsetting, at least in part, the funds and authority received by the Navy to lay down the prototype 1949 program. Two of the ships included in the 13, the Hoel (DD-768) and the Abner Read (DD-769), were inadvertently included because the ships had already been scrapped on the ways in January 1947. 5. The act of August 23, 1954 (Public Law 622, 83d Cong.) authorized the scrapping of the Castle (DD-720) and Woodrow R. Thompson (DD-721), and ratified the action taken by the Department in the case of the Hoel (DD-768) and the Abner Read (DD-769). The Navy was authorized to use the Ulua as a target for explosive tests by the act of October 12, 1951 (Public Law 173, 82d Cong.) and the Wagner (DE-539) and Vandivier (DE-540) are being completed as DER's under fiscal 1954 program. The 9 remaining ships of the original 16 which are to be scheduled for completion or conversion at some future date are listed below: The Lansdale, Seymour D. Owens, and Scaman were scheduled for completion in the 1953 program; then were postponed to the 1954 program, and, subsequently, postponed indefinitely. The Hawaii (CB-3) was scheduled in the fiscal 1952 program to be completed as a command ship (CBC-1) but has been postponed indefinitely pending evaluation of the U. S. S. Northampton (ECLC-1). Presidential rescission of the 1952 conversion authority was granted on September 29, 1954. 6. The construction of the remaining vessels is, in accordance with the abovementioned Public Laws 690 and 622, suspended at the direction of the President. |