The Navy has begun a program modernize to its 84 existing Aegis cruisers and destroyers (ACD) over a period of 20 years. The program¿s estimated total cost is about $16.6 billion. The Navy¿s proposed FY 2010 budget requests $674.8 million in funding for ACD ship modernization. The modernizations are intended to ensure that the ships can be operated cost-effectively throughout their 35-year service lives. Contents of this report: (1) Intro.; (2) Background: ACD; ACD Industrial Base; Construction, and Overhaul and Repair Shipyards; Combat System Manufacturers; Shipyards Performing the Work; (3) Issues for Congress: Cost Impact of BMD Addition; Shipyards For DDG-51 Modernizations; Service Life Extension to 40 Years. Illustrations.

The Navy wants to modernize 84 Aegis cruisers and destroyers over a period of more than 20 years at a potential total cost of about $9.7 billion in today's dollars. The Navy's plan poses several potential issues for Congress, including the Navy's overall vision behind the plan; the schedule, sequence, and scope of the destroyer modernizations, as well as the shipyards to be used for executing them; the strategy for achieving an open architecture combat system on the 84 Aegis ships; and whether to extend the ships service lives from 35 years to 40 years. Congress's decisions regarding Aegis ship modernizations could affect future Navy ship force levels and capabilities, Navy funding requirements, U.S. shipyards, and makers of Navy ship combat systems. This report will be updated as events warrant. The Navy's current cruisers and destroyers are called Aegis ships because they are equipped with the Aegis combat system - an integrated combination of sensors, weapons, computers, software, and display systems that was named for the mythological shield carried by Zeus. The Aegis ships are multimission ships for conducting missions such as anti-air warfare (air defense), ballistic missile defense, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, naval surface fire support for forces ashore, and Tomahawk cruise missile strikes.

The Aegis BMD program gives Navy Aegis cruisers and destroyers a capability for conducting BMD operations. Under current plans, the number of BMD-capable Navy Aegis ships is scheduled to grow from 20 at the end of FY 2010 to 38 at the end of FY 2015. Contents of this report: (1) Intro.; (2) Background: Planned Quantities of Ships, Ashore Sites, and Interceptor Missiles; Aegis BMD Flight Tests; Allied Participation and Interest in Aegis BMD Program; (3) Issues for Congress: Demands for BMD-Capable Aegis Ships; Demands for Aegis Ships in General; Numbers of SM-3 Interceptors; SM-2 Block IV Capability for 4.0.1 and Higher Versions; (4) Legislative Activity for FY 2011. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand publication.

Tells the story of the growing Chinese Navy - The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) - and its expanding capabilities, evolving roles and military implications for the USA. Divided into four thematic sections, this special collection of essays surveys and analyzes the most important aspects of China's navel modernization.

Contents: (1) Scope, Sources, and Terminology; (2) Overview of China¿s Naval Modern.; Inception; Elements of Modern. Effort; Limitations and Weaknesses; Reasons for Modern. Effort; Elements of China¿s Naval Modern.; Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles; Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles; Subs.; Aircraft Carriers; Surface Combatants; Amphibious Ships; Maritime Surveill. and Targeting Systems; Operations Away From Home Waters; Comparing U.S. and Chinese Naval Capabilities; Potential Oversight Issues for Congress; China as a Defense-Planning Priority; (3) Potential Navy-Related Program Implications; Highly Capable Ships and Aircraft; Pacific Fleet¿s Share of the Navy; Homeporting Pacific Fleet Ships in Forward Locations; Larger vs. Smaller Ships.

The Navy's FY2011 budget proposes canceling the CG(X) program as unaffordable and instead building an improved version of the Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) class Aegis destroyer called the Flight III version. This report provides background information on the CG(X) program as it existed prior to its proposed cancellation. For further discussion of the proposal to build Flight III DDG-51s in lieu of CG(X)s, see CRS Report RL32109, Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress.