REPORT ON ALTERNATIVE PROPULSION METHODS FOR SURFACE COMBATANTS AND AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE SHIPS.

SEC. 130. REPORT ON ALTERNATIVE PROPULSION METHODS FOR SURFACE COMBATANTS AND AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE SHIPS.(a) Analysis of Alternatives.—The Secretary of the Navy shall conduct an analysis of alternative propulsion methods for surface combatant vessels and amphibious warfare ships of the Navy.(b) Report.—The Secretary shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report on the analysis of alternative propulsion systems carried out under subsection (a). The report shall be submitted not later than November 1, 2006. (c) Matters to Be Included.—The report under subsection (b) shall include the following:(1) The key assumptions used in carrying out the analysis under subsection (a).(2) The methodology and techniques used in conducting the analysis.(3) A description of current and future technology relating to propulsion that has been incorporated in recently-designed surface combatant vessels and amphibious warfare ships or that is expected to be available for those types of vessels within the next 10-to-20 years.(4) A description of each propulsion alternative for surface combatant vessels and amphibious warfare ships that was considered under the study and an analysis and evaluation of each such alternative from an operational and cost-effectiveness standpoint.(5) A comparison of the life-cycle costs of each propulsion alternative.(6) For each nuclear propulsion alternative, an analysis of when that nuclear propulsion alternative becomes cost effective as the price of a barrel of crude oil increases for each type of surface combatant vessel and each type of amphibious warfare ship.(7) The conclusions and recommendations of the study, including those conclusions and recommendations that could 119 STAT. 3161 impact the design of future ships or lead to modifications of existing ships.(8) The Secretary’s intended actions, if any, for implementation of the conclusions and recommendations of the study. (d) Life-Cycle Costs.—For purposes of this section, the term “life-cycle costs” includes those elements of cost that would be considered for a life-cycle cost analysis for a major defense acquisition program.