LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP PROGRAM.

SEC. 218. LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP PROGRAM. (a) Amount for Program.—Of the amount authorized to be appropriated by section 201(2) for research, development, test, and evaluation, Navy, $4,000,000 may be available in program element 0603563N, relating to Ship Concept Advanced Design, for requirements development for the littoral combat ship. (b) Limitation on Obligation of Funds.—The Secretary of the Navy may not obligate any funds for the construction of a littoral combat ship until after the Secretary submits the report required by subsection (c).116 STAT. 2483 (c) Report on Milestone a Plan and Schedule.—(1) The Secretary of the Navy shall submit to the congressional defense committees, at the same time that the President submits the budget for fiscal year 2004 to Congress under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, a report on development of the littoral combat ship. (2) The report shall address the plan and schedule for fulfilling the requirements of Department of Defense Instruction 5000-series for a major defense acquisition Milestone A decision for initiation of concept and technology development for the littoral combat ship, including the following such requirements: (A) Consideration of technology issues. (B) Market research. (C) Validated mission need statement. (D) Analysis of multiple concepts. (E) Test and evaluation master plan (evaluation strategy only). (F) Exit criteria. (G) Acquisition decision memorandum. (3) The report shall include a discussion of the Secretary’s acquisition strategy for development of the littoral combat ship. (d) Requirements for Acquisition Strategy.—The Secretary shall ensure that the acquisition strategy for development of the littoral combat ship includes the following: (1) A concept and technology demonstration phase that is robust and, in a manner and on a schedule that will inform the Navy’s decisions on the concepts, technologies, and capabilities to be incorporated into the initial design of the littoral combat ship and into follow-on designs, capitalizes upon ongoing and planned experiments, demonstrations, and evaluations of— (A) existing, prototype, and experimental hull forms and platforms, including the hull forms and platforms relating to— (i) the Coastal Waters Interdiction Platform; (ii) the Hybrid Deep Vee Demonstrator; (iii) the Littoral Support Craft (Experimental); (iv) the High Speed Vessel; (v) surface effects ships; (vi) Research Vessel Triton; (vii) the SLICE ship; (viii) other existing, prototype, and experimental craft that the Secretary considers to be appropriate; and (ix) other existing ships capable of carrying the desired payload packages; (B) ship and combat systems components; (C) command, control, and communications systems; (D) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems; (E) weapons systems; and (F) support systems. (2) A description of the experiments, demonstrations, and evaluations that are needed for support of design and development decisionmaking for mission modules to be employed on the littoral combat ship, including the mission modules for— (A) anti-submarine warfare; (B) mine countermeasures;116 STAT. 2484 (C) anti-ship defense; and (D) any other missions that may be envisioned for the ship. (3) An identification of the experiments, demonstrations, and evaluations that would need to be accomplished during the concept and technology demonstration phase and those that would need to be accomplished during the system development and demonstration phase (after a major defense acquisition Milestone B decision to enter that phase). (4) A description of the potential trade-offs between program requirements and capabilities, and the methodology (including life cycle cost as an independent variable, speed as an independent variable, and other applicable program attributes), needed to arrive at a design for a littoral combat ship that can be approved (pursuant to a major defense acquisition Milestone B decision) for entry into the system development and demonstration phase. (5) An analysis of the adequacy of existing and planned platforms to test the littoral ship concept prior to construction of a littoral combat ship.