Building a 600-Ship Navy: Costs, Timing, and Alternative Approaches

As the Congress considers the defense budget for fiscal year 1983, one of the more important issues will be the Navy's shipbuilding program. The Administration has announced plans to increase U.S. naval forces in the interest of assuring maritime superiority over any likely enemy. A key aspect of this is a shipbuilding program that will modernize and increase the size of the U.S. fleet. This shipbuilding program will add substantially to costs, both in fiscal year 1983 and in the future.