Quadrennial Defense Review

[Bill Nichols]

The Pentagon's quadrennial review has just been released. Here's what it says for the U.S. Navy:

To achieve the future joint maritime force characteristics and build on progress to date, the Department [of Defense] will:

- Build a larger fleet that includes 11 Carrier Strike Groups, balance the need to transform and recapitalize the fleet, improve affordability and provide stability for the shipbuilding industry.
- Accelerate procurement of Littoral Combat Ships to provide power projection capabilities in littoral waters.
- Procure the first eight ships of the Maritime Pre-Position Force (Future) to improve the Department’s ability to operate in restricted access environments.
- Provide a Navy riverine capability for river patrol, interdiction and tactical troop movement on inland waterways.
- Build partner capacity to improve global maritime security by reinvigorating the Navy Foreign Area Officer program and procuring Disaster Relief Command and Control flyaway communication support capabilities.
- Return to a steady-state production rate of two attack submarines per year not later than 2012 while achieving an average per-hull procurement cost objective of $2.0 billion.

Download the entire document here:

http://www.defenselink.mil/qdr/repor...rt20060203.pdf