All four members of Maine’s congressional delegation, along with their colleagues from Mississippi, are urging the Department of Defense to support a congressional mandate to build a larger naval fleet.
In a letter, the lawmakers express concern that U.S. shipbuilding is not keeping pace with efforts seen in China, which is thought to have the largest fleet in the world with approximately 350 ships.
The lawmakers say that a congressional mandate in 2017 called for a fleet size of 355, with a further goal of more than 400 ships by 2051. Currently, there are 298 battleships in the U.S. Navy.
Bath Iron Works in Maine and Ingalls in Mississippi both build large-scale destroyers for the Department of Defense.
The letter was sent to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks on Monday.
