PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King of Maine are praising a Navy proposal to boost the fleet to 355 ships.
The proposal is an increase of 47 ships and includes an additional 16 large surface combatants like destroyers built at Maine’s Bath Iron Works and Mississippi’s Huntington Ingalls shipyard.
The Navy currently has fewer than 280 ships, and the previous goal was to grow to 308 ships.
Collins, a Republican, and King, an independent, said Friday that they welcomed the Navy’s “candid” assessment of what’s needed to protect the U.S. They noted that the assessment is good news for national security and for the workforce at Bath Iron Works.
Shipbuilders are hoping to stay busy during the Trump administration. Trump has vowed to build up the U.S. military.
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