The US Navy is requesting funds to buy two Virginia-class attack submarines in Fiscal Year 2023. (US Navy)

US Navy (USN) officials detailed plans on 28 March, during the release of documents supporting their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget request, that would result in a dip of ship counts through the middle part of the decade, despite a Congressional mandate to create a much larger fleet in future years.

The service anticipates building that larger force later, the USN officials said, but needs to cut the ship count now to deploy a force that can face current adversaries and threats.

As of 17 March 2022, according to the documents, the USN showed a battle force of 298 ships, or three more than in FY2021 – and one more than is projected for FY2022. The service projects that number to roller-coaster before dropping throughout the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) – to 285 in FY2023, 287 in both FY2024 and FY2025, 284 in FY2026 and 280 in FY2027.

Congress had mandated a 355-ship fleet.

The US Navy is requesting funds to buy two Virginia-class attack submarines in Fiscal Year 2023. (US Navy)

US Navy (USN) officials detailed plans on 28 March, during the release of documents supporting their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget request, that would result in a dip of ship counts through the middle part of the decade, despite a Congressional mandate to create a much larger fleet in future years.

The service anticipates building that larger force later, the USN officials said, but needs to cut the ship count now to deploy a force that can face current adversaries and threats.

As of 17 March 2022, according to the documents, the USN showed a battle force of 298 ships, or three more than in FY2021 – and one more than is projected for FY2022. The service projects that number to roller-coaster before dropping throughout the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) – to 285 in FY2023, 287 in both FY2024 and FY2025, 284 in FY2026 and 280 in FY2027.

Congress had mandated a 355-ship fleet.

The US Navy is requesting funds to buy two Virginia-class attack submarines in Fiscal Year 2023. (US Navy)

US Navy (USN) officials detailed plans on 28 March, during the release of documents supporting their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget request, that would result in a dip of ship counts through the middle part of the decade, despite a Congressional mandate to create a much larger fleet in future years.

The service anticipates building that larger force later, the USN officials said, but needs to cut the ship count now to deploy a force that can face current adversaries and threats.

As of 17 March 2022, according to the documents, the USN showed a battle force of 298 ships, or three more than in FY2021 – and one more than is projected for FY2022. The service projects that number to roller-coaster before dropping throughout the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) – to 285 in FY2023, 287 in both FY2024 and FY2025, 284 in FY2026 and 280 in FY2027.

Congress had mandated a 355-ship fleet.

The US Navy is requesting funds to buy two Virginia-class attack submarines in Fiscal Year 2023. (US Navy)

US Navy (USN) officials detailed plans on 28 March, during the release of documents supporting their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget request, that would result in a dip of ship counts through the middle part of the decade, despite a Congressional mandate to create a much larger fleet in future years.

The service anticipates building that larger force later, the USN officials said, but needs to cut the ship count now to deploy a force that can face current adversaries and threats.

As of 17 March 2022, according to the documents, the USN showed a battle force of 298 ships, or three more than in FY2021 – and one more than is projected for FY2022. The service projects that number to roller-coaster before dropping throughout the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) – to 285 in FY2023, 287 in both FY2024 and FY2025, 284 in FY2026 and 280 in FY2027.

Congress had mandated a 355-ship fleet.

The US Navy is requesting funds to buy two Virginia-class attack submarines in Fiscal Year 2023. (US Navy)

US Navy (USN) officials detailed plans on 28 March, during the release of documents supporting their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget request, that would result in a dip of ship counts through the middle part of the decade, despite a Congressional mandate to create a much larger fleet in future years.

The service anticipates building that larger force later, the USN officials said, but needs to cut the ship count now to deploy a force that can face current adversaries and threats.

As of 17 March 2022, according to the documents, the USN showed a battle force of 298 ships, or three more than in FY2021 – and one more than is projected for FY2022. The service projects that number to roller-coaster before dropping throughout the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) – to 285 in FY2023, 287 in both FY2024 and FY2025, 284 in FY2026 and 280 in FY2027.

Congress had mandated a 355-ship fleet.

The US Navy is requesting funds to buy two Virginia-class attack submarines in Fiscal Year 2023. (US Navy)

US Navy (USN) officials detailed plans on 28 March, during the release of documents supporting their Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget request, that would result in a dip of ship counts through the middle part of the decade, despite a Congressional mandate to create a much larger fleet in future years.

The service anticipates building that larger force later, the USN officials said, but needs to cut the ship count now to deploy a force that can face current adversaries and threats.

As of 17 March 2022, according to the documents, the USN showed a battle force of 298 ships, or three more than in FY2021 – and one more than is projected for FY2022. The service projects that number to roller-coaster before dropping throughout the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) – to 285 in FY2023, 287 in both FY2024 and FY2025, 284 in FY2026 and 280 in FY2027.

Congress had mandated a 355-ship fleet.