The Pentagon will re-evaluate a plan to grow the US fleet to 355 ships, a move that experts worry could diminish the service’s presence as Iran poses a renewed challenge to Middle East waterways through proxy groups.
Speaking at the Pentagon earlier this month, the Navy’s top officer said that the decision, which will be paired with the US administration’s new budget, was made to align the maritime service’s mission with the Defense Department’s new strategy that focuses on China and Russia.