The U.S Navy submitted to Congress its needs for the fiscal year 2022 instead of the traditional report that outlined the Navy’s planned purchases for the thirty years to come. According to USNI News, it is not uncommon for a new administration to not file a 30-year plan with its first budget.
To summarize, the U.S. Navy plans to decommission fifteen ships and to acquire eight manned ships in FY 2022. The unmanned vessels fleet should also grow significantly.
According to the table – coming from the report – the 15 ships that the Navy plans to decommission in FY2022 are 7 cruisers, 4 littoral combat ships, 1 amphibious ship, 2 attack submarines and 1 fleet tug.
Despite an important number of vessels that will be decommissioned, the report shows the actual intention to grow and modernize the U.S. Navy’s fleet in maintaining funding to programs such as the Future Columbia-class SSBNs, DDGs flight III and other major programs.
It also indicates the wish for a fleet size ranging from 321 to 372 ships with no timeline for completion of the work. The Navy’s previous goal had been 355 hulls laid out under the first year of Trump administration.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin supported the 355 objective when asked by the Senate Appropriations Committee about the shipbuilding budget on June 17.
“355 is a good goal to shoot for.”
“You have my commitment that I will continue to work with the committee to do everything I can to resource our Navy. We have the dominant naval force on the face of the planet. It has been so in the past. It is so now. It will remain so going forward. I absolutely agree that 355 ships is a good goal to shoot for.”
“I want to make sure that we have the right mix of capabilities – size matters – but capabilities also matter. We’re going to continue to work with the Navy and with this committee to make sure the right capabilities are in place.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
