Trump budget fails to fund naval expansion

摘要

Since coming to power in early 2017 US President Donald Trump has advocated a dramatic expansion of the US fleet to in excess of 350 ships, a level far above that of the US Navy during the Obama administration (around 275 frontline vessels). President Trump has said on numerous occasions that he wants to build dozens of new warships in what would be one of the biggest peace-time expansions of the US Navy, but the recently unveiled budget doesn't include more vessels than would have been expected had Obama still been in power. Moreover questions have been raised about whether shipyards and the supply chain in the US are in a position to build all of the new vessels that would be required. The problem is, it is suggested, not that the well-known naval yards in the US don't have the technical wherewithal to respond to the President's plan, but that the supply chain would be severely challenged with yards needing to hire and train tens of thousands of workers.