Navy shipbuilding plans likely to run aground, report says

http://humanevents.com/2015/01/13/navy-shipbuilding-plans-likely-to-run-aground-report-says/



Navy shipbuilding plans likely to run aground, report says
Steve Wilson | Tuesday Jan 13, 2015 11:01 AM

The Navy’s shipbuilding plans — absent a huge transfusion of money — are about to run aground, with serious consequences for the industry and U.S. foreign policy.

The U.S. Navy’s shipbuilding plan, which covers 2015 until 2044, has the service building 264 vessels for a 306-ship force, what the Navy refers to as “battle force ships.”



A report by the Congressional Budget Office shows construction of new ships alone will cost $500 billion over 30 years, or an average of $16.7 billion per year. Add modifications to ships’ weapons and electronics and the expensive refueling of nuclear-power aircraft carriers and submarines, and it climbs to $18.9 billion per year.

That’s slightly less than the 2014 plan, but it’s 36 percent above the historical average annual funding of $13.9 billion. The Navy will either have to cut the number of ships it builds or get more money from Congress.