Must U.S. Navy Downsize Plans?

Must U.S. Navy Downsize Plans?

from The Diplomat by David Axe

Last week, the U.S. Navy released its annually-updated 30-year shipbuilding plan. The document confirms what analysts have expected since the January publication of the Pentagon's new Strategic Defense Guidance: the world's leading naval power is no longer planning a major expansion from today's 285 warships to 313 or more, as was expected as recently as last year. Instead, the U.S. combat fleet will slightly shrink to a low of 276 vessels in 2015 before modestly expanding, peaking at a planned 307 ships in the late 2030s. Lower shipbuilding rates account for the smaller projected fleet. The Navy anticipates buying between seven and nine warships during most years, while retaining most vessels for around 40 years of service. The cuts are inconsistent with the Obama administration's much-touted "Pacific pivot," says Mackenzie Eaglen, an analyst with the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "This is a pivot in name only," Eaglen wrote at AOL Defense. But the ... Read More...