The U.S. Navy’s ambitious plan to increase its fleet by about one-third could cost almost $1 trillion over the next 30 years, according to a report by the Congressional Budget Office.
The U.S. is looking to counter China’s expanding maritime force — Beijing reportedly has the world’s largest fleet of warships, although the U.S. still has an advantage in guided missile cruisers and destroyers, and aircraft carriers.
The report said as of Dec. 1, the Navy’s fleet totaled 296 battle force ships — aircraft carriers, submarines, surface combatants, amphibious ships, combat logistics ships, and some support ships. The fleet will drop to 283 battle force ships by 2027 because the Navy plans to retire 13 more ships than it commissions.
“To achieve its goal of 381 battle force ships, the Navy would buy 364 ships over the next 30 years — 293 combat ships and 71 combat logistics and support ships,” the report stated. “If the Navy adhered to its schedule for retiring ships, it would have a fleet of over 300 ships by the early 2030s. In 2054, the fleet would number 390 ships, a little more than the Navy’s goal.”
The Pentagon submitted the Navy’s shipbuilding plan for the 2025 fiscal year in March, and the CBO is required by law to analyze that plan and assess its costs. Under the plan, the Navy would purchase a total of 364 new combat ships and combat logistics and support ships, according to the report.
“CBO estimates that total shipbuilding costs would average $40 billion [in 2024 dollars] over the next 30 years, which is about 17% more than the Navy estimates,” the report stated. “CBO’s estimates for the 2025 plan range from 8% to 16% higher in real terms than its estimates for the three alternatives in the Navy’s 2024 plan.
“Including the costs of operating and maintaining those ships, buying new aircraft and weapons, and funding the Marine Corps, the Navy’s total budget would need to increase from $255 billion today to $340 billion [in 2024 dollars] in 2054 to implement the 2025 plan.”
Funding for shipbuilding has climbed in the past 10 years, reaching the highest levels since President Ronald Reagan pursued the idea of a 600-ship Navy in the 1980s, the report said.
“Since 2015, lawmakers have appropriated an average of $2.5 billion more per year for shipbuilding than the president has requested, partly because of concerns that the fleet is too small to perform all of its missions,” the report said.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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