The U.S. Navy presented Congress with multiple shipbuilding procurement plans to grow the military branch’s fleet in the coming years, Breaking Defense reported Wednesday.
The publication obtained a document that outlines three fleet procurement alternatives, two of which propose a budget with “no real growth” and the third option represents a $75 billion real growth beyond the next five fiscal years.
The first two procurement schemes estimate to achieve 305 to 307 manned ships in fiscal year 2035 and 318 to 322 manned ships in another 10 years while the final alternative plan would achieve 326 manned vessels in the mid-2030s and 363 manned ships in fiscal year 2045.
The Navy also plans to decommission additional ships, including five guided-missile cruisers, according to the report.
The service noted it believes continuing to maintain the decades-old ships that were once “premier air defense command and control platforms” would result in “little return on investment.”
