Webb calls for substantially bigger fleet

[unhappycamper]

Webb calls for substantially bigger fleet
By Philip Ewing - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Oct 16, 2007 19:44:13 EDT

The number of the ships in the Navy should be “substantially higher” than today’s 279 ships and the new “floor” of 313 ships that commanders hope for, Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb said Saturday.

Webb endorsed “assessments” that he said called for as many as 350 ships — or more — in a statement timed to coincide with the Navy’s 232nd birthday and the 20th anniversary of the Navy Memorial in downtown Washington, D.C. As President Reagan’s secretary of the Navy, Webb presided at the dedication of the memorial in 1987.

Later, he quit in protest over what he called unwise cuts to the size of the fleet. Webb repeated those worries about the U.S. having too few warships today.

“I resigned from my position as Navy secretary in 1988 because I could not personally support some dramatic cuts that were being made in the Navy’s force structure,” Webb said. “That was a different time in our history, with different strategic issues. But I am concerned today about how far the Navy force structure has been allowed to deteriorate. We need to reverse the steady slide in shipbuilding.”

For the near term, that means Webb will urge colleagues in the Senate to adopt the House version of the defense authorization and appropriations bills working their way through conference committee this fall, although the difference in the proposals is less a matter of expansion than the degree of cutbacks: The House bill would cut the number of Littoral Combat Ships on order from two to one. The Senate version would eliminate all orders entirely and require the Navy to choose between the two competing versions of LCS by the end of 2008, two years earlier than planned.

The House also backs adding a 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock and two T-AKE-class dry cargo ships, while the Senate does not. Both the House and Senate agree on building an additional Virginia-class attack submarine, which could be added to the fiscal 2009 budget, but disagree on how much money to set aside for it.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/10/navy_webb_biggerfleet_071016w/