Secretary of Defence Mark Esper said Tuesday afternoon that the US Navy needs more than 500 ships by 2045 to counter China. Speaking at an online Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments event, Esper unveiled his plan for the future fleet: “Battle Force 2045.” The plan calls for a force of 355 traditional warfighting vessels by 2035 and a larger force consisting of over 500 manned and unmanned vessels by 2045.
While Esper made note of the threats and challenges posed by Russia, his focus was China, which plans to modernise its armed forces by 2035 and build a world-class military by 2049.
“At that time, Beijing wants to achieve parity with the United States Navy, if not exceed our capabilities in certain areas and to offset our overmatch in several others,” Esper said...MORE
