President-elect Donald Trump has proposed to increase the U.S. Navy’s fleet of 272 ships to 350 as part of his plan to generate jobs and help the government deter conflicts and fight potential adversaries, the Navy Times reported Tuesday.According to an October campaign memo, Trump has vowed to fund modernization work on the service branch’s Ticonderoga-class cruisers and make investments in Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and submarines, David B. Larter writes.
The incoming administration also plans to build up shipyards, support the maintenance of warships and create a training pipeline for shipyard workers, the report said.
“Mr. Trump’s plan will require a significant partnership with a defense industrial base that has been strained by years of significant cuts to shipbuilding and ship repair,†according to the memo.
Bryan Clark, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said the incoming administration could reach its fleet size target of 350 ships and increase the number of sailors to at least 380,000 by the 2030s, according to the report.
