While the Pentagon wants to slow pay increases and benefits:

“Over the next decade, the Navy will take delivery of at least 32 Littoral Combat Ships (LCS); 10 Joint High Speed Vessels (JHSV); three Mobile Landing Platforms (MLP); several Afloat Forward Staging Bases; and new versions of amphibious assault ships and Ship-to-Shore connector craft.”

http://breakingdefense.com/2014/05/introducing-americas-new-expeditionary-fleet/?utm_source=Breaking+Defense&utm_campaign=221e2a37ee-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4368933672-221e2a37ee-407339625

(The article is all about “What catchy name should the Navy give the new ships so the money-lenders (Congress) will right away know what an admiral is talking about when he/she pulls ROMA dollar numbers on maintenance and – maybe – manning.”)

In late April, “The Navy announced a record $17.645 billion contract Monday to build 10 new SSN 774 Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines. The order assures prime contractor General Dynamics Electric Boat and chief subcontractor Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding of submarine orders through 2018.”

http://www.navytimes.com/article/20140428/NEWS04/304280038/Navy-orders-10-new-submarines-record-17-6B

(“We got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks …” Hudson in Aliens.)

The Army won’t publicly go to the mat, but it is left out of Sea-Air-Space planning, emphasis Pacific and China. Someone pointed out that the Army conducted more amphibious landings in the WWII Pacific than did the Marine Corps, but that statistic is somewhat meaningless given that we don’t need small islands from which to base strategic bombers.

The Joint Chiefs say “we” can’t pay for the new fleet unless “we” slow down pay increases for PFCs and Specialists. Go figure.