
A draft House defense appropriations bill would add a second Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) destroyer to the Navy shipbuilding budget and bar decommissioning three littoral combat ships. The bill, released June 29, would provide $3.334 billion for two DDG-51s whereas the Biden administration’s FY ‘22 budget request sought only $2 billion for one ship in an effort to balance spending priorities given a limited funding topline (Defense Daily, May 28). The Navy subsequently put the second destroyer, at a price tag…