
The president’s 2017 budget request will include funding for LHA-8, the third America-class amphibious assault ship, Marine Commandant Gen. Robert Neller confirmed on Thursday.That ship will help the Navy and Marine Corps stave off a continued shortfall in amphibious ships, he said in a speech on Capitol Hill. The Navy only has 30 amphibs in its fleet, and even though its stated requirement is 38 ships to support deploying two Marine Expeditionary Brigades, it would need about 50 vessels to…