With the US fiscal year starting in the autumn, there is already plenty of jockeying for a stake in the military budget. The army, navy, air force and marines all want the overall budget to increase and will probably get their way in an election year. But the sheer unpredictability of Donald Trump, coupled with his frequently stated aim to “bring our boys back” from the Middle East, has unnerved military chiefs, who are waving the China card to justify expansion.
The US navy’s current ambitions are to grow its entire fleet from 290 ships to 355 by 2034. Larger than in recent years but still far below the Cold War era when the aim, never realised, was for a 600-ship navy. Even 355 ships is pushing it given the state of its current fleet. This has been demonstrated painfully by two serious accidents in the Pacific in the past year involving destroyers colliding with commercial shipping.
The reports paint an embarrassing picture of badly trained sailors and under-strength crews, and sources within the Navy are quick to admit that these examples have been the tip of the iceberg. Occasionally one of the senior figures goes public, which gives an indication of the depth of concern.
