Updated 12/10/2020: In December 2016, the Navy released a force-structure goal that callsfor achieving and maintaining a fleet of 355 ships of certain types and numbers. The 355-shipgoal was made U.S. policy by Section 1025 of the FY2018 National Defense AuthorizationAct (H.R. 2810/P.L. 115- 91 of December 12, 2017). The Navy and the Department of Defense(DOD) have been working since 2019 to develop a successor for the 355-ship force-level goal.The new goal is expected to introduce a new, more distributed fleet architecture featuring asmaller proportion of larger ships, a larger proportion of smaller ships, and a new third tier oflarge unmanned vehicles (UVs). On December 9, 2020, the Trump Administration released a document that can beviewed as its vision for future Navy force structure and/or a draft version of the FY202230-year Navy shipbuilding plan. The document presents a Navy force-level goal that callsfor achieving by 2045 a Navy with a more distributed fleet architecture, 382 to 446 mannedships, and 143 to 242 large UVs. The Administration that takes office on January 20, 2021,is required by law to release the FY2022 30-year Navy shipbuilding plan in connection withDOD's proposed FY2022 budget, which will be submitted to Congress in 2021. In preparingthe FY2022 30-year shipbuilding plan, the Administration that takes office on January 20,2021, may choose to adopt, revise, or set aside the document that was released on December9, 2020. The Navy states that its original FY2021 budget submission requests the procurement ofeight new ships, but this figure includes LPD-31, an LPD-17 Flight II amphibious ship thatCongress procured (i.e., authorized and appropriated procurement funding for) in FY2020.Excluding this ship, the Navy's original FY2021 budget submission requests the procurementof seven new ships rather than eight. In late November 2020, the Trump Administrationreportedly decided to request the procurement of a second Virginia-class attack submarinein FY2021. CRS as of December 10, 2020, had not received any documentation from theAdministration detailing the exact changes to the Virginia-class program funding linesthat would result from this reported change. Pending the delivery of that information fromthe administration, this CRS report continues to use the Navy's original FY2021 budgetsubmission in its tables and narrative discussions.

Sea Power is more than naval ships and men and weapons, more than naval strategy, more than the ability to engage and defeat an enemy at sea. Sea Power encompasses every strength con-tributed to a nation's defense, economy, self-image, and position in the world community through its use of the oceans. Sea Power is measured by the health of a na-tion's navy and merchant marine; the vitality of its fishing and shipbuilding enterprises; the adequacy and efficiency of its ports and docks. It is reckoned by the ability to husband and harvest the living and non-living resources of the waters and the ocean floor. It is found in maritime recreational activity that invigorates both people and industry. It benefits from the inspiration that stimulates man's imagination to an ever more creative relationship with the sea. This book assesses these components of sea power from the historical perspective of the Yankee Mari-ner, to provide a view of the total impact United States sea power has had in the past and should have in the future. It further considers how understand-ing and stewardship of the oceans can contribute to solutions for the problems of America and the dilem-mas of mankind. The words are those of specialists in ocean science and engineering...sea transport and the building of ships and ports...ocean politics and law...deep-sea mining and underwater oil production...fishery biology and management, and aqua culture... naval history, naval strategy, and defense policy at sea. Drawing upon a vast store of experience and exper-tise, these fifteen authors find Uncle Sam faltering as a Yankee Mariner. They investigate the extent of hu-man commitment and the nature of scientific and technical support needed for the United States to regain its momentum in use of the sea. What they report is a broad-based guide to America's past and present sea power stance, and to the requirements for her future challenge of ocean space.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is the premier public resource on scientific and technological developments that impact global security. Founded by Manhattan Project Scientists, the Bulletin's iconic "Doomsday Clock" stimulates solutions for a safer world.