US Navy eyes 300-ship fleet, but sees challenges

The U.S. Navy on Wednesday submitted a 30-year shipbuilding plan to Congress that calls for a fleet of about 300 ships, 13 less than in the previous plan, and warns that the number may drop further if costs rise on any major shipbuilding programs.

The plan, required by Congress, forecast average yearly spending on new ships of about $16.8 billion per year over the next three decades, well above the historical average of around $15 billion.

Spending would average about $15.1 billion for the first 10 years, but would shoot up to $19.5 billion per year from 2023 to 2032, mainly due to the cost of replacing the current fleet of Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines, the report showed.

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