The Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) conduct dual aircraft carrier strike group operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. The operations mark the U.S. Navy’s continued presence throughout the area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jake Greenberg / Released)
Navy Times: A 308-ship Navy to cost $566 billion, CBO estimates
A U.S. Navy plan to build a 308 ship fleet will cost a whopping $566 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
As of 2016, the Navy’s fleet of combat capable ships numbered 272, an inadequate number to meet Navy’s role of policing the global commons and responding to near-peer adversaries like Russia and China, according to 2014 Navy assessments.
The 2017 Navy shipbuilding plan, submitted to Congress in July, intends to increase the size of the fleet to 308 ships by building 254 ships over a 30-year period. Figuring in retirement plans of current ships, the U.S. Navy would reach that goal by 2021, according to a report published by the CBO.
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WNU Editor: I suspect that some jaws dropped when they heard that $566 billion number.
