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Samarkand, Uzbekistan, on April 10, 2025. (Getty Images)
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Ships from the George Washington and Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Groups steam in formation at the conclusion of Valiant Shield 2014. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Paolo Bayas/Released)
President Trump campaigned on the promise to rebuild and renew American military power. Increasing the size of the Navy from 274 ships to 350 is central to this goal. However, such an increase in naval strength will require considerable resources and cannot happen overnight. In order to ensure success, important questions must be answered about the strategy, size, shape, and capabilities of the future Navy: the appropriate mix of ship designs, the role of unmanned systems, the efficacy of current methods of posturing naval forces, and the threats this force is likely to face.
On March 1, Hudson Institute's Center for American Seapower hosted an expert panel discussion on the challenges associated with meeting the 350-ship goal. Former Under Secretary of the Navy Janine Davidson and Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments Senior Fellow Bryan Clark joined Hudson Institute's Seth Cropsey and Bryan McGrath to discuss the steps needed to make the 350-ship Navy a reality.
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USS Barry prepares to conduct an underway replenishment with Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson on August 16, 2026. (US Navy)
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People walk up a ramp from FDR Drive as they evacuate from Lower Manhattan in the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001. (Getty Images)
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A member of the US Army 7th Army Training Command stands with a radar for drone detection during a demonstration at the US Army Joint Multinational Readiness Center on August 26, 2026, near Hohenfels, Germany. (Getty Images)
