CNO: 313-ship fleet represents a minimum

CNO: 313-ship fleet represents a minimum
By David Sharp - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jan 8, 2008 22:02:27 EST

BRUNSWICK, Maine — The Navy’s oft-stated goal of a 313-ship fleet should be considered a minimum level that may have to be increased to meet obligations around the world, the Navy’s top admiral said Tuesday.

Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, suggested the fleet will have to grow to meet the Navy’s commitments. “The 313 will not be enough for the missions that we’re going to be tasked with in the coming years,” he said.

Roughead’s remarks after touring Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works and submarine repair yard Portsmouth Naval Shipyard follow a briefing issued by another admiral before Thanksgiving that indicated the 313-ship goal may be adjustable.

The briefing paper by Vice Adm. John Morgan laid out three scenarios, including one that would reduce the fleet and two that would increase the number of ships, to 474 and 534 ships, respectively. The Navy’s fleet currently stands at 280 ships.

Shipbuilders who’ve trimmed their work forces because of tight shipbuilding dollars would welcome a larger fleet but Roughead didn’t offer any specifics on how many more ships would be needed, or what type of ships will need to be built.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/01/ap_cnovisit_080108/



uhc comment: The military industrial complex must have a woody right about now.

in terms of warships versus tenders and such?

And how many surface warships are there just to provide a carrier with surface defense coverage?

The Navy has always been really good and building an excellent inventory of ships and missions to really kick ass in the LAST Navy war... which in this case would be WWII.

If we were to get involved with another carrier battle group based Navy where both sides didn't go tactical nuke on each other, we would really kick ass.

Just like in WWII, just as the war was started with Japan, we would have kicked their butts in the first few months IF Japan had confronted our fleet of battleships with their battleships... of course, Japan didn't get the memo and did something a bit different.

Anyway, good to know that if Admiral Yamamoto shows up with a 4 carrier battle group again, we will really kick his keister.