NORFOLK, Va. — It is not the news lawmakers wanted to hear.
The Navy fleet would drop from 293 deployable ships of today to 286 ships next year, under the branch's proposed budget for FY'25.
The $257.6 billion request--including $33 billion for new shipbuilding-- seeks only six new battle force ships while at the same time, decommissioning 13 vessels-- including 10 before the end of their expected service life.
"The Navy continues to retire ships faster than it builds them. And I'm troubled by the Navy's request decommission 10 ships before the end of their service life," said Rep. Ken Calvert (R-California) during a hearing House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on Wednesday.
"I am concerned by the lack of a defined plan for growing the fleet. We cannot continue to divest ships without investing adequately in ship construction," said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma).
But Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, told lawmakers that the Navy is doing the best it can with the hand it has been dealt by Congress.
"Given the discretionary spending caps prescribed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and a top-line increase of 0.7 percent, the Navy had to make tough choices," she said.
And Franchetti said it's not just ships. The Navy could also end up short of people.
"We are about 18,000 billets short at sea right now," Franchetti said.
Franchetti argued that "our most important resource is our people."
She noted quality-of-life improvements the Navy is making---including improved barracks and better access to more affordable childcare, embedding mental health care providers with units and providing sailors with high-quality food and free Wi-fi.