Welcome to part one of our regular bi-monthly summary of recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports and primers on a range of defense, weapon system, acquisition, sustainment, product support, and supply chain management-related topics. Several recent issuances of potential interest to the defense acquisition workforce community since our end-of-July DAU LOG Blog post:

• Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs: Background and Issues for Congress, Aug 08, 2023
• Navy John Lewis (TAO-205) Class Oiler Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Aug 07, 2023
• Navy Medium Landing Ship (LSM) (Previously Light Amphibious Warship [LAW]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Aug 07, 2023
• Defense Primer: Department of the Navy, Aug 04, 2023
• Defense Primer: Geography, Strategy, and U.S. Force Design, Aug 04, 2023
• Defense Primer: Naval Forces, Aug 04, 2023
• Navy Next-Generation Attack Submarine (SSN[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Aug 04, 2023
• Navy TAGOS-25 Ocean Surveillance Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Aug 04, 2023
• Navy DDG(X) Next-Generation Destroyer Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Aug 03, 2023
• Navy Light Replenishment Oiler (TAOL) (Previously Next-Generation Logistics Ship [NGLS]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Aug 01, 2023
• Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress, Jul 31, 2023
• Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (Polar Icebreaker) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, Jul 31, 2023

As regular DAU LOG Blog readers are aware, when I share these bi-monthly highlights of their reports (and particularly for those not familiar with the CRS), I like to include a reminder that the organization “…serves as nonpartisan shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.”

Photo courtesy of the Architect of the Capitol