Navy Makes Steam

I see the current Navy transformation like the transition form sail to steam in the 19th Century. It seems agonizing slow, but steady. Alot of folks in the Military Industrial Complex aren't happy, according to this article, but change is seldom easy. Without it we die:

The overall increase in fleet size can be explained by the Navy's plan to buy 55 Littoral Combat Ships - small, fast attack boats that can patrol waters close to shore. None of those ships exist today. Without them, the proposed future fleet would decline to 258 ships...The shift in force structure, analysts said, signals a desire to reorient the Navy away from traditional deep-ocean battles toward ways to better engage in the war on terrorism - mostly fought on land or close to shore."The fleet is being postured for irregular warfare and unconventional combat," said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute. "It is not being postured for war against China in the future."

And I think thats a good thing. If you disagree, please read yesterday's post.