CRS: $5B/Year for 355-ship fleet

WASHINGTON: Building up the Navy’s fleet to 355 ships, as analyzed by its new Force Structure Assessment, may be harder than expected, according to a newly-released study by the Congressional Research Service. The CRS study estimates that, even if American shipyards increased production rates, achieving parts of the 355-ship force level goal could take many years. Navy officials have said that the industrial base has the capacity to take on the more work needed to achieve and maintain a 355-ship fleet; and that building toward that goal sooner than later would be facilitated by ramping up production of existing ship designs, rather than developing and starting production of new designs, according to CNO Adm. John Richardson. Littoral Combat Ships being a prime example - from two variants to a totally new frigate design, which is supported by Sen. John McCain. The added cost to ramp the 355-ship plan may cost as much as $5.1B annually - not counting the operation, maintenance and crew costs. The CRS study also estimates that the Navy would need an additional 15,000 sailors and aviation personnel. (Source Breaking Defense 02/03/17) Gulf Coast Note: The Navy’s FSA called for 16 more destroyers and cruisers – from 88 to 104. These ships are built at both Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., and Bath Iron Works in Maine. It also calls for four additional amphibious warships – from 34 5o 38. These “amphibs” are primarily built by Ingalls. The number of smaller combatants (i.e. Littoral Combat Ship) remained the same (52). Two different variants of LCS ships are built at separate shipyards - Austal USA in Mobile, Ala., and in Wisconsin.