Navy plans to boost fleet to 355 vessels ignites debate over many ships, or fewer high-technology vessels
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy quest for 355 ships raises questions about the extent to which sheer numbers can offer new combat power. Would many warships be enough, or could a relative few high-tech ships controlling unmanned systems be even better? Kris Osborn at Warrior Maven reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
17 Aug. 2020 -- Some have maintained that the technology woven into modern and emerging future vessels is so sophisticated that they would have give America an advantage without necessarily adding large numbers of new ships.
The hope is that long-range sensors, manned-unmanned teaming and a large platform “mothership” might achieve the requisite combat superiority without relying upon hundreds of ships.
Yet others argue that today's fleet is simply ill-equipped, and is the reason that the Navy has been asking for as many as 12 carriers and a fleet of 355 ships or more.
Related: Shipboard electronics steams into the 21st century
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
