(a) In General.—
Not later than 180 days after the date on which a covered event occurs, the Chief of Naval Operations shall submit to the congressional defense committees a battle force ship assessment and requirement.
(b) Assessment.—Each assessment required by subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1)
A review of the strategic guidance of the Federal Government, the Department of Defense, and the Navy for identifying priorities, missions, objectives, and principles, in effect as of the date on which the assessment is submitted, that the force structure of the Navy must follow.
(2)
An identification of the steady-state demand for maritime security and security force assistance activities.
(3)
An identification of the force options that can satisfy the steady-state demands for activities required by theater campaign plans of combatant commanders.
(4)
A force optimization analysis that produces a day-to-day global posture required to accomplish peacetime and steady-state tasks assigned by combatant commanders.
(c) Requirement.—
(1) Each requirement required by subsection (a) shall—
(B) identify, for each of the fiscal years that are five, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years from the date of the covered event—
(ii)
the number of battle force ships required in each of the categories described in paragraph (2);
(iii)
the classes of battle force ships included in each of the categories described in paragraph (2); and
(d) Definitions.—In this section:
(2) The term “covered event” means a significant change to any of the following:
(B)
Strategic laydown of vessels or aircraft that affects sustainable peacetime presence or warfighting response timelines.
(e) Amphibious Warfare Ships.—
In preparing each assessment and requirement under subsection (a), the Commandant of the Marine Corps shall be specifically responsible for developing the requirements relating to amphibious warfare ships.
(Added Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title X, § 1017(a), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1896; amended Pub. L. 117–263, div. A, title X, § 1025, Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 2764.)