Pentagon recalibrates USN fleet numbers but lacks updated force structure assessment
US shipbuilders and Congress are anxiously awaiting details of the USN’s 30-year shipbuilding plan, which is already running five months late.
This blueprint will propel the size of the fleet beyond the 355-ship objective set in 2016 and it could lead to a fundamental recalibration of how the service defines ‘Battle Force’ ships and.
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper recently revealed his view that the USN needs to expand. ‘I want to make sure we have a future naval force that can meet the needs of deterring China and again, failing that, fighting and winning,’ he asserted in a radio interview
Our news & analysis is now part of Defence Insight®
A Basic-level or higher Defence Insight subscription is now required to view this content.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Force renewal in the Royal Canadian Navy opens long-term opportunities for suppliers]()
Force renewal in the Royal Canadian Navy opens long-term opportunities for suppliers
Canada's ambitious naval modernisation plans are creating major maritime procurement opportunities, with future programmes also promising long-term work for domestic and international shipbuilders.
-
![The unanswered design question at the heart of India’s P75I submarine programme]()
The unanswered design question at the heart of India’s P75I submarine programme
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is edging toward an India submarine deal, but an unverified claim of a radically new hull design – at odds with the proven lineage it has marketed to Canada – has yet to be resolved.
-
![Canada’s selection of TKMS for its new patrol submarines reflects rising Arctic competition]()
Canada’s selection of TKMS for its new patrol submarines reflects rising Arctic competition
The decision points to deepening NATO cooperation and mounting competition in the Arctic and North Atlantic, as Canada opts for a European-designed solution despite interest from South Korea.
