For several months, the US Navy seems to be facing an impasse in terms of industrial programming, caught between the presidential demands to increase the volume of the fleet, the costs of current programs, and in particular the submarine program. nuclear marine missile launchers Columbia, and an inextensible budget. And the latest announcement will certainly not please President Trump, whose directives to reach a fleet of 355 ships in 2030 will certainly not be respected. In fact, the US Navy has justannounce its intention not to extend the life of its Arleigh Burke Flight I destroyers, which will reach the end of their service life between 2025 and 2032.
This announcement comes after other arbitrations in favor of a reduction in the format of the US Navy's surface combatant fleet, such as the reduction from 12 to 7 in the number of Flight III type destroyers to be built between 2021 and 2026. In total, the US Navy will therefore lose 10 destroyers over this period of time, or nearly 10% of its fleet. cruisers and destroyers, even though President Trump, through the voice of Secretary to the Navy (acting) Thomas Modly keeps repeating his intention to grow this same format to meet the challenge represented by the modernization and expansion of the Chinese Navy in the Pacific. Note that according to observations made in Chinese shipyards, the People's Liberation Army Navy should receive as many Type 2020 and Type 055D destroyers in 052 as the US Navy over the entire period 2021-2026.
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