Page 22: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (March 2017)

U.S. Navy: Force of the Future o let’s start with the num- there will always be a competition for resources force structure review that concluded that 355 bers. There are different among the services. That said, the Navy’s most ships were needed to meet combatant commander ways to count the ? eet recent force structure review revealed a new demands. size, including whether or number. 355. Trump has directed Secretary of Defense James not you count auxiliaries, President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27 executive or- Mattis to conduct a 30-day “readiness review” to but let’s use this number der calling for a “great rebuilding of the Armed determine “readiness conditions, including train- as the baseline: There are Forces,” a point reiterated in his February 28 ing, equipment maintenance, munitions, modern- 274 ships in the U.S. Navy speech to Congress. ization, and infrastructure.” now. The current objective “I’m signing an executive action to begin a The Navy conducted its own force structure as-

Sis to increase the ? eet size great rebuilding of the armed services of the Unit- sessment, and commissioned two other studies to to 308, according to the approved 30-year ship- ed States, developing a plan for new planes, new examine what kind of force the Navy needs going building plan and the FYDP, or Five Year De- ships new resources, and new tools for our men forward.

fense Plan. and women in uniform,” Trump said at a Penta- Another study by MITRE said the Navy needs

Every navy wishes it had more ships, people, gon ceremony. 414 ships, including three more nuclear aircraft and stuff. Strategic priorities can change, tech- During the campaign Trump called for a 350- carriers, nearly double the number of cruisers and nologies can alter the war? ghting landscape, and ship Navy, which tracks with the Navy’s own destroyers requested in the Navy’s 355-ship plan

The Danish navy frigate HDMS Peter

Willemoes (F362), seen here operating as a part of the USS George H.W. Bush

Carrier Strike Group, is an example of a capable and ? exible frigate design that could be built in the U.S.

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication

Specialist 3rd Class Christopher Gaines) 22 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • MARCH 2017

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