>
Article snippet: Lawmakers on Wednesday questioned President Trump’s promise to build the Navy to a 350-ship fleet, grilling service officials on the administration’s fiscal 2018 budget and its lack of capital for such a feat. Sen. MORE (R-Maine) asked Navy Acting Secretary Sean Stackley about the White House FY-18 budget, released Tuesday, which asks for eight new vessels. Such a request, she pointed out, had already been planned under President Obama. “As I look at this budget, it appears to continue President Obama's 30-year shipbuilding plan and does not seem to reflect the latest assessment by the Navy, which has also been endorsed by the president,” Collins said at a Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing. Trump promised on the campaign trail and shortly after taking office to quickly increase the fleet from its current level of 275 ships to 350. Navy leaders have supported a larger fleet built faster than the last administration-projected goal of 308 ships by the 2040s. Collins asked whether the Navy’s budget request was cut by the White House Office of Management and Budget. Stackley denied a cut and said the budget priority was to maintain and improve the current fleet, then inject more money in the FY-19 request. “The best way to increase, whether it's your ship count or your aircraft count, on deployment in theater where you need it, is to raise the readiness of the in-service fleet. And that's the priority in this budget,” Stackley replied. He added that... Link to the full article to read more