USN to Campaign for More Ships

[tomahawk6]

The demands on the USN will continue forcing an expansion beyond the present 309 fleet size target.This will require more tax payer dollars and I dont see any way around it.

http://www.scout.com/military/warrior/story/1649362-navy-likely-to-seek-fleet-size-increase#/military/warrior/story/1649362-navy-likely-to-seek-fleet-size-increase

 

[jmt18325]

I just don't see that happening in the current environment.  Security reigns supreme in the US - but not to the radical right that blocks everything at this point.

 

[tomahawk6]

The Republicans have always been strong on defense and will fund the US military to acheive its targets.

 

[CBH99]

There is no reason why the allies can't pick up the slack around relatively low threat areas, to free up USN ships & give them more flexibility with Russia & China.

Canadian & EU vessels are high tech, well armed, and more than capable of dealing with pirates & even security in the Persian Gulf.  There is no reason why the EU can't provide sufficient naval forces to take care of its own backyard, as THEY ALREADY have the ships.  France, Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy, Greece, etc - more than enough vessels to be take some of the load off of the USN in that region.

I'm not sure if the USN needs to grow, or if the fleet size would be sufficient if they were able to focus their resources better.

*Also, let the Littoral Combat Ship be just what it was intended to be.  It was intended, from my understanding, to operate in rather permissive environments so that the more high-end ships could focus on higher threat areas.  Now, they are trying to turn the LCS into a frigate.  Let the LCS be the low-threat solution it was intended to be, so the higher end assets can focus on higher threat environments.

 

[CougarKing]

Related: shipbuilding contracts that will help address the need for certain ships, including new AORs and another new LHA.

Defense News

Ingalls, NASSCO Each A Winner in New Ship Contracts
Christopher P. Cavas, Defense News 2:08 a.m. EDT July 1, 2016
US Navy deals valued at more than $6 billion for new assault ship and fleet oilers

WASHINGTON The long-anticipated award of two new major US Navy shipbuilding contracts turned out as expected Thursday, with long-time amphibious shipbuilder Ingalls Shipbuilding getting a new assault ship and veteran support ship builder NASSCO set to build the first six of a new class of fleet oilers.

Altogether, the total potential value of the deals is around $6.3 billion.

The assault ship, designated LHA 8, will be built at the Huntington Ingalls Industries Ingalls Shipbuilding yard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, which has produced all previous assault ships for the Navy. The initial $272.5 million fixed-price-incentive firm target contract is for the planning, advanced engineering, and procurement of long lead time material for the ship, with full funding to follow.

A detail design and construction contract for LHA 8 is expected to be awarded next year. The total value of the order to Ingalls will be $3.134 billion when all options are exercised.

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