Budget impasse threatens Ohio-replacement.

• Author: Harper, Jon
• Position: Budget Matters

An extended continuing resolution that funds Pentagon accounts at fiscal year 2016 levels could derail the Navy's top acquisition effort.

The Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program--also known as the Ohio-class replacement--was expected to receive $773 million in advance procurement funding in fiscal year 2017. But budget gridlock led Congress to pass a continuing resolution to fund federal agencies from Oct. 1 through Dec. 9.

Continuing resolutions use the previous fiscal year's funding levels to determine the amount of money that may be expended while the resolution is in effect. The 2016 defense budget included research, development, test and evaluation funding but no advanced procurement money for the Columbia -class.

Defense officials fear that lawmakers will end up passing more continuing resolutions if they are unable to reach an agreement on appropriations after the November elections.

"The Navy during that time might not have authority to execute any [advanced procurement] funding for the program," said naval affairs specialist Ronald O'Rourke in a recent Congressional Research Service report on the program.

"This could put pressure on the Navy's ability to meet its currently tight schedule for having the first boat... enter service and complete testing in time to support its first scheduled deterrent patrol," he said. "The longer the Navy operates under a CR during FY 2017, the greater this impact on the program's schedule might be."

The service can mitigate the impact of a continuing resolution through the first quarter of the fiscal year with current funding authorities, the Navy said in an information paper provided to CRS.

However, advanced procurement funding would be considered a new start that could be prohibited under a continuing resolution scenario, according to the Navy.

"The program will not be able to transition from currently funded RDT&E... preliminary design to [shipbuilding account]-funded detail design until...