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On July 18, Rep. Joe Courtney, ranking member of the Seapower and Projection of Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, and »ªÌå»á Senior Fellow Seth Cropsey, held a discussion on the future of the U.S. Navy and its role in American defense and foreign policy.

For over a century, American military strategy has relied on control of the seas through its Navy. Today, the United States faces challenges from near-peer competitors Russia and China, and other regional challenges. But while threats have increased, the U.S. fleet size has contracted. To address this, the U.S. Navy recently set an ambitious, decades-long plan to increase the fleet to 355 ships. But can this growth in fleet size be achieved? What will the fleet of the future look like, and can its force structure be maintained? How will America continue to employ the Navy as a strategic tool to maintain the U.S.-led international order?

A highly regarded voice on national security, Rep. Courtney was first elected in 2006 to serve Connecticut’s 2nd congressional district, home to Naval Submarine Base New London. A member of the Armed Services Committee, Rep. Courtney also serves as co-chair of the Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus with his Republican colleague Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia.

Sponsored by Hudson’s Center for American Seapower, Conversations on National Security and U.S. Naval Power is an ongoing series that brings influential policymakers and opinion leaders to Hudson to foster constructive dialogue toward the shared goal of ensuring the U.S. Navy’s global preeminence.