US President Joe Biden keeps telling the world that “America is back”. His administration keeps assuring its allies that the US has their back as the leader of the global democracies. But what Biden doesn’t reveal is that “America is back” without its naval power. The free world is today facing a clear threat from Chinese aggression. The democratic world has pinned its hopes on the US Navy when it comes to fighting the paper dragon in the South China Sea and the East China Sea.
But Biden’s latest budget proposal weakens the US Navy on every possible front including shipbuilding, training, salaries and manpower.
Overall, Biden’s $715 billion military budget is a 1.6 per cent hike over the last year. Adjusted for inflation, the Pentagon is actually facing a budgetary cut.
The US Navy is the worst hit. The force is already running short of building 355 ships by 2034 as mandated by the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act. The US Navy today has a total of 296 warships, whereas it needs 308 ships to stay on course for achieving the 355-ships goal by 2034.
Yet, Biden’s budget proposal seeks a $2 billion cut in warship construction. Compare this to China, which has already become the world’s largest Navy with a total of 350 ships and submarines. China is also looking to expand and maintain a fleet of 420 ships. If Biden surrenders meekly in face of the Chinese naval consolidation, it would seriously harm the reputation of the US Navy and also embolden China to act hawkish in the Indo-Pacific.
Also, Biden seems to have no sense of the Navy’s future needs. An average ship serves 35 years, and eight ships are built annually. Under the latest proposal, the US Navy plans to retire 15 ships and will be left with 280 ships by the 2030s. Another 48 ships will leave the fleet by 2026. Budgetary cuts would leave the US Navy amidst a depleting fleet.
Now, the opinion of the serving and last Indo-Pacific Commanders dictates that there is a high possibility of a Sino-American conflict in the foreseeable future. Yet, Biden’s budgetary cuts mean that if the US and China get caught up in a conflict, the US Navy will get outnumbered.
Shipbuilding is not the only issue. The budget also cuts sailors, reducing manpower by 1,600 though the US needs 27,712 additional sailors if it really wants to manage a future fleet of 355 ships. Even presently, some ships face a 15 per cent crew shortfall, which contributes to crew fatigue.
Nor is there any plan to attract more sailors. The Biden administration offers an insignificant 2.7 per cent pay rise. This is again a cut of sorts as inflation is hovering over 4 per cent. Why will the American youth want to join the US Navy as a sailor in such a case? Imagine running a Navy with tired and unmotivated sailors. This is what Biden’s budget proposal reduces the mighty US Navy into.
And the US Navy training budget also lacks strategic sense. There is no provision to indicate how the US Navy will develop a better understanding of the China threat. The worst thing you can do in a conflict is to be caught napping during a conflict. But if the US Navy doesn’t understand and pre-empt Chinese actions, how will it hit back at the paper dragon and avoid embarrassment.
Biden’s budgetary proposal pre-supposes that there won’t be a conflict in the Indo-Pacific any time soon. But given China’s actions, any Sino-Taiwanese conflict doesn’t seem unlikely. Also, Chinese belligerence against countries like the Philippines in the South China Sea or Japan in the East China Sea dictates that even presently, the US Navy must pull up its socks and deter Chinese aggression. However, a ship and sailors-deficient US Navy cannot be expected to meet this uphill task.
Biden is weakening the US Navy and this is a disaster not just for the US, but for all of China’s enemies who look up to the Pentagon for pushing back against Chinese belligerence.
