AEI: Navy Needs Rebuilding to Reach 355-Ship Fleet

[awpitt]

...

The U.S. Navy faces serious challenges in reaching its goal of 355 ships and the capabilities they need, a Washington think tank said, recommending a series of steps that will help the service to increase its warfighting strength.

http://seapowermagazine.org/stories/20180510-aei.html

 

[Monello]

Just a few decades ago the goal was a 600 ship navy. Just the idea of that was enough to collapse the iron curtain, ending the cold war.

 

[Gilligan]

They propose to arm the JHSV's....which are manned /crewed by US Merchant Marine. The include the under-gunned, nearly unarmed LCS' in the "surface combatants" category, but those things would lose a fight with any of the more capable, yet much smaller, fast-attack craft out there today. Heck, the fast-missile-craft we recently delivered to the Egyptian Navy pack far, far more punch than an LCS does.

When the 355-ship requirement was announced in 2016, it resulted in a lot of eye-rolling because the budget disconnect with that reality was so massive. It still is.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

In the mid 2000's they kept talking about a 1000 ship Navy, but they were talking about our ships along with all our allies ships.

 

[Gilligan]

And meanwhile...China's navy keeps growing..and growing...

The future size of the [People’s Liberation Army] Navy will be about 550 warships and submarines by 2030. That is twice the size of today’s U.S. Navy,” said Retired U.S. Navy Capt. James Fanell at a House Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/05/21/expert-china-navy-double-us-2030/