Weekly Read Board--USN

Upcoming Events

Th	1030-1200: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Naval Nuclear Dynamics in the Indian Ocean

Scuttlebutt (News)

·         New US Navy Fleet Goal: 308 Ships The Navy’s 30-year shipbuilding plan has been revised upward from 306 ships to 308; a 12th LPD 17-class amphibious transport dock and a third Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) have been added to the plan.

·         Flurry of Contracts Spark US Navy Shipbuilding. The past few days have been good for a number of the US Navy's shipbuilders. 

·         Navy to Conduct First Aerial Refueling of X-47B Carrier Drone The refueling will happen as the UCLASS program faces stiff criticism from prominent members of Congress who continue to push for a stealthy, long-endurance, penetrating strike platform.

·         Joint exercises put U.S. Navy at Russia's doorstep The destroyer Jason Dunham entered the Black Sea on April 3 in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve, a series of NATO drills launched in response to conflict in Ukraine.

·         China Unveils Three New Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines The Type-093G is reported to be an upgraded version of Type-093.  With a teardrop hull, the submarine is longer than its predecessor and has a vertical launching system able to fire supersonic anti-ship missiles.

Now Hear This (Opinions)

·         Where Is Unmanned Carrier Aviation Heading? Rep. Forbes argues that a long-range penetrating strike platform is the unmanned aircraft that the carrier and its air wing need most. 

·         The US Navy Doesn’t Need an Expensive Aircraft Carrier Drone CAPT Robert Newson, a military fellow (NSW) at CFR, argues that the Navy needs a lower-cost, expendable unmanned system. 

·         Reports of the Death of the Aircraft Carrier are Greatly Exaggerated (video) Bryan McGrath argues at the Naval War College that the aircraft carrier remains the most effective platform for projection power.

Deep Dives (Analysis)

·         Navy’s 30-Year Shipbuilding Plan to Congress for Fiscal Year 2016 The U.S. Navy’s Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for Fiscal Year 2016 issued on April, 3 2015.

Fact of the Week:  The Navy’s new plan raises the average shipbuilding rate slightly over what it has been in recent years, though far from the highs of the 80s.  The average shipbuilding rate from 1982-1990 was 16.8 per year, from 1991-2001 it was 6.18, from 2002-2015 it was 7.2 and from 2016-2045 it will be 8.8 per year.