The US Navy’s newest shipbuilding plan would cost $40 billion annually over the next 30 years, about 17% more than the service initially estimated even as the fleet is set to shrink over the near term, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
The Navy’s total budget would have to increase from $255 billion today to $340 billion in 2054 in order to operate and maintain ships, buy new aircraft and weapons, and fund the US Marine Corps, the CBO also said in its report. That’s because the force’s 2025 shipbuilding plan would cost 46% more annually in real terms than the average ...