US

US Navy Plans Massive Expansion Of Destroyer Fleet

Photo by Z.A. Landers/U.S. Navy via Getty Images

Daily Caller News Foundation logo
Font Size:

The U.S. Navy is planning a substantial expansion of its destroyer fleet in an effort to improve its ability to conduct major maritime warfare operations.

The Navy is hoping to increase its overall battle force inventory to 355 vessels within the next 15 years, according to information Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Chambers shared with Warrior Maven.

Specifically, the Navy wants to add up to 30 new destroyers, 15 littoral combat ships, 18 new frigates and 32 attack submarines.

Of the planned destroyers, 22 are slated to be DDG 51 Flight III and eight for DDG 51 Flight IIA. (RELATED: Chinese Warship Nearly Rams US Navy Destroyer)

AT SEA - DECEMBER 7: The future USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) is underway for the first time conducting at-sea tests and trials on the Kennebeck River December 7, 2016 in the Atlantic Ocean.The Zumwalt is the largest destroyer ever built for the U.S. Navy. (Photo by U.S. Navy/General Dynamics Bath Iron Works via Getty Images)

The future USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) is underway for the first time conducting at-sea tests and trials on the Kennebeck River on Dec. 7, 2016 in the Atlantic Ocean. (Photo by U.S. Navy/General Dynamics Bath Iron Works via Getty Images)

Navy Flight III destroyers are state of the art and include technologies not currently available such as much more powerful radar and increased power generation required for laser weapons, enabling crews to see and destroy a wide range of distant targets.

The new radar is called Air and Missile Defense Radar and is engineered to simultaneously locate and track multiple targets. Ships can distinguish between drones, helicopters, low flying aircraft and incoming ballistic missiles, reportedly twice as far away and at half the size of current tracking radar.

The Navy has awarded deals for 10 new Flight III destroyers and has options to add more ships and increase the “build rates” for vessels should it be required, Warrior Maven reported this week.

Follow Whitney on Twitter

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.