CDR Salamander - 34 Ships & $65.8 Billion is Nothing to Sneeze at

Time to catch up with something that, sadly, was lost in the twin storms of the recovery of the pilot and WSO shot down by Iran, and the trip to the moon and back by the crew of Artemis II.

For navalists and those concerned with America’s navy and maritime industry, this is some of the best news we have heard in decades.

The first to break the news on April 2nd was TradeWinds News’ Eric Priante Martin.

A budget proposal by US President Donald Trump will contain what is described as the largest government ship order package since World War II.

Scheduled to be released on Friday, it will contain $65.8bn in orders for the US Navy alone, with the vessel proposals spanning both warships and non-combat ships...

We don’t have specific details, but we have enough to smile.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)’s proposal for the 2027 fiscal year, which starts in October of 2026, will include 34 ships for the navy, a level not seen since 1945, according to the spokesperson.

The OMB proposal includes funding for 18 ships in the navy’s battle force, the spokesperson said.

It will also include another 16 non-battle force ships, such as hospital ships, submarine tenders, oilers and roll-on, roll-off ships known as strategic sealift vessels.

Look at that ratio. Absolutely superb. The “unsexy but important™” we’ve been asking for here for over a decade and a half are going to get some attention.

We are not going to let the perfect be then enemy of the good. We are not going to over-engineer the problem. We are not going to be limited to the usual yards.

No. All indications are that we are going to cut steel once it gets delivered to the railhead.

In a major departure, the US is looking to existing commercial designs for many of these vessels, a move that would allow more shipyards to get in the game at lower costs.

That means the naval oilers will be what the US military calls CONSOL tankers, possibly built to American Bureau of Shipping classification rules. The navy currently charters MR product carriers for CONSOL, short for consolidated cargo replenishment at sea.

The strategic sealift vessels will be commercial ro-ros.

Yes, yes, yes…I know. The U.S. shipbuilding industry is already “over-taxed” and can’t build and maintain what we have right now. Yes, we do not have enough personnel in the trades. Yes. Yes.

Now sit down.

This is a supply and demand issue. If there is a steady and substantial demand signal, then the supply will meet it.

With a much smaller population in a weaker economy, previous generations have done more with less. The Merchant Marine Act of 1936, and the Naval Act of 1938 both stressed the system still suffering under the depths of the Great Depression. Too much demand is a good problem to have.

While we have been waiting for this pulse of investment for a long time, there is no quick fix. These things can take time, but with steady and predictable funding backed by firm and focused leadership, the results will be here sooner than you think.

More than anything, this long-term needs support and vision from both political parties, and in Congress and the Executive Branch regardless of who holds power.

America’s naval power should not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It is too important for that: it has to be an American issue. We are a maritime and aerospace power. This truth is self-evident.

We need to break old habits.

Sad to see a serious Senator in national security areas, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the Senate Armed Services Committee’s ranking member, say something that could have been generated by a random-defense-comment-generator at any time in the last forty years…and represents a mindset that birthed so many of the problems we see today:

“We must wisely invest in technology and efficiency. ... The military has to adapt to changing threats and invest in smart, cost-effective, advanced technologies that strengthen our defensive capabilities and contribute to America’s economic and technological edge.”

I’m sorry, but this adds no value to the discussion. No one is perfect and habits die hard. I hope this is a one-off imperfection for the Senator. Our Navy and our Nation will need his support to build the Navy we desperately require.

We’ve wasted so much time appreciating the problem. He raises great issues, but let’s work those in parallel with our current efforts.

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