NAVY LOOKS TO GROW – AT 9:51 A.M. ET:  Already we see good changes.  The United States Navy, which has been kept too small to do its job effectively, now seeks to expand under Trump.  From the U.S. Naval Institute: 

The Navy released a new fleet plan that calls for 355 ships, outlining a massive increase in the size of its high-end large surface combatant and attack submarine fleets but a modest increase in its planned amphibious ship fleet, according to a Dec. 14 summary of the assessment.

The findings of the latest Force Structure Assessment adds 47 ships to the Navy’s battle force over the 308-ship figure from a 2014 FSA.

According to the summary, the service determined the 355 total was the “minimum force structure to comply with [Pentagon] strategic guidance” and was not “the “desired” force size the Navy would pursue if resources were not a constraint, read the summary.

“Rather, this is the level that balances an acceptable level of warfighting risk to our equipment and personnel against available resources and achieves a force size that can reasonably achieve success,” according to the summary, which notes it would take a 653-ship force to meet all global requirements with minimal risk.

The largest change to the 2014 totals are in the high-end ships classes of attack submarines, large surface combatants – like guided-missile cruisers and destroyers – and aircraft carriers. The new total adds 16 large surface combatants, 18 attack submarines and an additional carrier over the 2014 plan.

COMMENT:  There are some concerns that even this plan isn't large enough, and it may not be.  One thing we should demand, though, is much greater efficiency, control, and quality in our shipbuilding and aircraft acquisition programs.  As readers know, I'm strongly pro-defense, but I am not strongly pro-waste and mismanagement.  Some recent defense programs, like the F-35 fighter-bomber and the littoral combat ships, have raised serious questions about cost and quality.  The questions are legitimate.

Getting the biggest bang for the buck should be a national priority.

December 16,  2016