Navy Ship Numbers for Asia-Pacific Shift Don’t Add Up

U.S. Pacific Command’s area of operation consists of 36 nations located in 105 million square miles, of which 83 percent is water.

The Defense Department’s strategic shift to the Asia-Pacific region announced in 2012 has gone hand in hand with a budget crunch, which in turn may test the Navy’s ability to maintain a sufficient number of ships to carry out a global mission, analysts said.

PACOM Commander Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III said at an Atlantic Council presentation recently that it’s the U.S. military’s goal to have a robust and capable forward presence in the region.

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