Navy Eyes Large Surface Combatant Procurement in 2023; Rear Adm. Ron Boxall Quoted

The U.S. Navy plans to purchase its first Future Surface Combatant ship in 2023 in support of its Arleigh Burke Flight III warship program, USNI News reported Tuesday.

The combatant ship will integrate design elements from Zumwalt-class (DDG-1000) and Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) destroyer vessels, according to the report.

The service’s Future Surface Combatant family of warships will be composed of a large combatant vessel, a small combatant and two unmanned surface vessels that will be available in small and large sizes.

Navy Rear Adm. Ron Boxall, surface warfare director, said the service will initially address the acquisition of the large combatant.

“Not many people make large surface combatants of the size and capability that we need,” Boxall told USNI News.

“So we’ve got to kind of look to our portfolio of blueprints that we have as a starting point, and we’ll edit and modify the hull and design things as we go forward,” he added.

Boxall noted the planned large combatant would require space to accommodate unmanned platforms and helicopters, long-range missiles and command-and-control systems to support offensive surface and aerial defense missions as well as integrate DDG-1000’s power system and signature controls.