
The U.S. Navy, which is nearing completion of a force structure assessment, will probably conclude it needs more ships than currently planned, service Secretary Ray Mabus said Oct. 12.The Navy, which is slated to boost its fleet to 308 ships by fiscal year 2021, up from 278 in 2008, will likely determine that a larger increase is warranted to counter a growing number of threats around the world, Mabus said, echoing recent comments by other service officials, including Chief of…