Navy Times:
Missile defense ships are in short supply.
Navy officials say the fleet of BMD-capable cruisers and destroyers is far outstripped by unprecedented demand for these shooters. The Pentagon’s “unsustainable” BMD strategy lacks the clarity to accomplish the growing mission, needed to counter threats from nuclear-armed countries like Iran and North Korea, they argue.
Combatant commanders last year requested 44 ships in recent years to meet BMD missions, according to congressional data. In fiscal 2016, that need is expected to jump to 77 ships — a tally more than double the Navy’s inventory of BMD-capable ships.
“I will not meet that gap,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert told Navy Times on March 24. “The funding that we have today does not meet that gap.”
In fact, it is headed in the opposite direction. Budget cuts have forced the Navy to eliminate $500 million in upgrades to five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. The Howard, McCampbell, Mustin, Chafee and Bainbridge will lack ballistic missile defense capability and be unable to use the new Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air technology in coming years.
The admiral responsible for protecting the U.S. from missile threats said another round of across-the-board sequestration budget cuts could impair that mission…
