The U.S. Navy has crafted a 30-year shipbuilding plan that indicates the military service can hit or surpass its goal of having 308 combat vessels over a 12-year period, Breaking Defense reported Monday.
Sydney Freedberg Jr. writes Defense Ashton Carter asked the Navy to cut the production of Littoral Combat Ships from 52 to 40 and the potential impact of Carter’s proposal on the branch’s surface fleet requirements is outlined in the long-term shipbuilding plan.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson told a McAleese/Credit Suisse-hosted defense conference that he believes the military service will need more than 308 battle force ships in order to help address emerging national security threats.
The Navy is also conducting a force structure assessment that will likely prompt the branch to increase its current fleet goal, Freedberg reports.
According to the report, the current 308-ship fleet requirement of the Navy calls for as many as 140 surface combatants such as LCS and cruisers.