China to have 150 more ships than US by 2028 under Biden budget, Navy secretary admits

The US Navy will have about 150 fewer ships than China by 2028, according to Defense Department officials. The Chinese naval forces are on track to have 440 or more ships on the water, while the US Navy will only have around 291 ships. These figures were provided by US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro during a pitch to Congress for a $255.8 billion budget for fiscal 2024. While Del Toro and other officials emphasized the importance of naval power in competing against China, they acknowledged that President Joe Biden’s budget request falls short of inflation.

The tension between balancing naval power and budgetary constraints has caused planners some dilemmas. The Navy is set to retire eight surface ships, which include three aging cruisers and two relatively new littoral combat ships that are less capable, less lethal, and more expensive to sustain than what Navy officials deem necessary. But in retiring these ships, the Navy also undercuts the 31 amphibious ships that federal law requires it to maintain.

Del Toro suggested that the numerical size of the fleets isn’t the only factor in assessing naval power. He pointed out that US ships are much more modern and lethal than ever before. Nevertheless, the officials admitted that this budget has limitations, and a lack of additional funding could put the US Navy at a disadvantage in the competition with China.