The US Navy said it expects its future fleet to consist of hundreds of remotely piloted ships, as it prepares to confront the growing Chinese fleet and Russian influence.
According to a US Navy report published on Tuesday, the plan for 2040 and beyond emphasized "the need to deal with long-term competition with China and maintain military advantage over Russia."
It expects the fleet numbers to rise slightly from the long-term shipbuilding plan for 2021, which ranges from 321 to 372 manned vessels and 77 to 140 large unmanned vessels.
The US Navy has 298 ships in its "fighting power" as well as dozens of resupply and logistics ships.
The Navy's proposed fiscal year 2023 budget requested $27.9 billion to fund the construction of eight new ships, including two Virginia-class attack submarines, two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and a Constellation frigate.
At a time of escalating conflict in the South China Sea between China and Taiwan, CIA chief William Burns said last week that Beijing appears intent on using force in Taiwan while Russia's experience in Ukraine influences its calculations about when and how.