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Vice Adm. McCullough: Navy 'Pursuing All Measures' To Reach 313

By JOHN C. MARCARIO, Seapower Assistant Editor

The Navy is building its planned 313-ship fleet "to meet the 2020 threat," said the deputy chief of naval operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources, Vice Adm. Barry McCullough III.

The fiscal 2009 budget asked for seven new ships, including one Virginia-class submarine, one DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class destroyer, one Navy Joint High Speed Vessel, two Littoral Combat Ships and two T-AKE auxiliary dry cargo ships.

"I want to make it clear, though, there are risks within the 30-year plan and we are aggressively pursuing all measures in order to pursue the 313 force structure," said McCullough, who was the mid-afternoon floor speaker March 18 at the Sea-Air-Space Exposition in Washington.

McCullough added that the Navy will continue to work with Congress to put nuclear power, as appropriate, onto the ships they directed in the Defense Authorization Act.

There has been talk within Congress, according to McCullough, to put nuclear power in the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers.