Take My T-AKE — No, Seriously

"Three years ago the U.S. Navy proposed a plan to expand today’s 280-strong fleet of major warships into a 313-ship fleet balanced for fighting a major naval opponent while also sending more ships into shallow water for peacetime missions. But the plan hinged on getting $26 billion a year for shipbuilding, an expectation that was, and is, pure fantasy. As a result, the 313-ship Navy is dead in the water.

Under a new president and with new leadership, the Navy is rewriting its plan, and nobody on the outside knows yet what it’ll look like. Could be fewer ships, could actually be more, but of cheaper designs. One thing’s clear: the new fleet should not cost more than $22 billion a year, according to Bob Work, an analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. (Note: there are rumors the Obama Administration will offer the Navy only $14 billion a year.)"
War is Boring