America is in crisis. It cannot build ships fast enough to keep up with the Communist Chinese. Our fleet has been steadily shrinking.
President Reagan’s goal of a 600-ship navy is far from met. Today’s force has only 295 ships. Further, the current plan is to expand the fleet to 390 ships over the next three decades. Given the number of aging ships that will retire in that time, this will require an enormous expansion in American ship building capability.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates this will take at least $40 billion a year, which is higher than the American Navy projects. And with the Navy’s current inefficient and micromanaged shipbuilding bureaucracy, this almost certainly understates the real cost.
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