{"id":47741,"date":"2025-02-06T21:38:11","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T21:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2025\/02\/06\/navy-league-urges-rapid-expansion-of-battle-fleet-for-future-wars\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T15:50:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T15:50:17","slug":"navy-league-urges-rapid-expansion-of-battle-fleet-for-future-wars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2025\/02\/06\/navy-league-urges-rapid-expansion-of-battle-fleet-for-future-wars\/","title":{"rendered":"Navy League urges rapid expansion of battle fleet for future wars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

U.S. leaders should invest at least $40 billion every year to grow and maintain the country\u2019s fleet of battle force ships in preparation for long-term and large-scale wars, the nonprofit Navy League urged in a policy statement unveiled in early February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement also called on Congress to increase funding for a Navy plan to revitalize public shipyards<\/a>, add to the Coast Guard\u2019s fleet of polar icebreakers<\/a> and spend more on producing munitions to prepare for a \u201cpossible great power conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nonprofit, which supports the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Merchant Marine, releases policy statements every other year to help guide lawmakers as they make decisions about maritime power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the wake of territorial disputes in the South China Sea<\/a>, an ongoing fight against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea<\/a>, an escalating NATO-Russia contest in the Baltic Sea<\/a>, increased competition between the U.S. and its adversaries over Arctic sea lanes<\/a> and a looming Chinese threat to Taiwan<\/a>, the Navy League focused its priorities for 2025 and 2026 on building up the fleet, as well as the shipbuilding industry\u2019s ability to maintain more ships \u2014 and do it faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmerica is undoubtedly a maritime nation, and our safety, security and prosperity depend on strength in this domain,\u201d retired Rear Adm. Sinclair Harris said on a call with reporters Thursday. \u201cAmerican seapower is essential to global security.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Challenges facing the country\u2019s seapower \u201ccontinue to grow with each passing day,\u201d added Harris, the national vice president of the Navy League.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nonprofit isn\u2019t expecting an easy pathway to sway Congress toward huge investments in maritime power, said Jonathan Kaskin, the Navy League\u2019s chair of Merchant Marine affairs. The policy statement would \u201cgive the Hill the background needed to provide additional resources,\u201d he said, adding the caveat that they \u201cwill be very challenging to obtain in this fiscal environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nonprofit\u2019s recommended $40 billion per year for battle force ships matches the cost associated with the Navy\u2019s newest proposal to Congress<\/a>. Under that proposal, the service would need to spend $40.1 billion on shipbuilding every year through 2054, for a total of more than $1 trillion, according to analysis<\/a> from the Congressional Budget Office.<\/p>\n\n\n\t