A Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee warned that cutting the size of the Navy’s fleet of combat ships will negatively affect the service’s long-term ability to project power around the world, and said the situation would worsen if Congress cannot resolve the budget standoff.
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) statement came after the Navy’s recent report lowering the number of required ships to 306, seven fewer than the goal outlined in the 2010 version of the congressionally mandated report.
“The U.S. Navy is already overworked and experiencing the consequences of an undersized fleet,” said Hunter, who sits on the HASC seapower subcommittee. “The 306-ship target might represent the absolute minimum capacity the Navy needs right now, but cutting the fleet size today will have a long-term effect on the Navy’s ability to project force on a global scale and defend American security interests worldwide.”
The Navy’s January report slashed six ships from the fleet of large surface combatants, which includes destroyers and cruisers, from 88 to 94. The Navy said that with plans to forward deploy four Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) destroyers in Rota, Spain for ballistic missile defense operations, fewer are needed.
The Navy also eliminated three Littoral Combat Ships, trimming the projected number from 55 to 52. The Navy said there was less demand for the ships under Africa Command.
“The 306-ship combatant force possesses the requisite capability and capacity to deliver credible deterrence, sea control, and power projection to deter or contain conflict and, if called upon, to fight and win our nation’s wars,” the Navy Combatant Vessel Force Structure Requirement report said.
The Navy’s current fleet consists of 282 ships and the service hopes that number will reach 300 by the end of this decade. The report also cited requirements to increase the number of other ships, mostly for serving as Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) ships.
It remains unclear how possible sequestration or other budget reductions could impact the Navy’s plan to build out to 300 ships. Sequestration, which would slash spending accounts across the federal government, is poised to take effect March 1 if the White House and congressional Democrats and Republicans cannot strike a deal to avert or delay it.
The military services are expected to submit details on the impact of sequestration to the Pentagon’s top budget officer, Robert Hale, by Friday.