Navy Plans Amphibious Fleet Expansion to 40 Ships
Navy and Marine Corps propose growing the amphibious ship fleet by about 25 percent in exchange for a lower readiness level.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Military
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The Navy and Marine Corps have drawn up a plan to increase the amphibious ship fleet from 31 to 40 ships. The effort would add new vessels and extend the service life of some existing ships while new ones are built.
Why it matters
Amphibious ships are out of service more often than not, and few U.S. warships meet the Navy's goal of being ready 80 percent of the time. The Marine Corps wants three Amphibious Ready Groups deployed at all times to meet national security needs, a demand the current fleet struggles to meet.
The planned fleet would include 13 big-deck amphibious assault ships and 27 smaller dock ships, compared with nine assault ships and 22 dock ships today. Funding for the expansion remains to be discussed with lawmakers this month.
The players
U.S. Navy
The U.S. Navy is the naval warfare branch of the American armed forces, responsible for maintaining the amphibious fleet at the center of this plan.
U.S. Marine Corps
The U.S. Marine Corps is the amphibious expeditionary force of the United States that relies on Amphibious Ready Groups to deploy Marines worldwide.
The details
The plan trades a lower readiness level for a larger inventory, with the Navy adding new ships and extending the service life of some existing ones while building replacements. Extended Amphibious Ready Group deployments, which carry more than 2,000 Marines each, increase wear-and-tear, and maintenance periods are already delayed.
Timeline
November 4, 2026: The Navy and Marine Corps drew up the expansion plan.
November 5, 2026: Brodie briefed reporters on the amphibious ship plan.
This month (November 2026): The Navy and Marine Corps will meet with lawmakers on funding.
Big Picture
The Navy's 40-ship target exceeds the 35 amphibious ships a Hudson Institute fleet design study says are needed, suggesting the Navy is planning beyond outside estimates. The gap underscores how far the current 31-ship fleet is from the force structure analysts consider necessary.
The expansion would add new ships to the fleet but could mean longer deployments and more demanding maintenance schedules for Marines and sailors. Funding decisions in Congress will determine whether the planned growth happens on schedule.
The takeaway
Growing the amphibious fleet would address a persistent shortfall, but the trade-off is a lower readiness level and more strain on ships already running behind on maintenance. Whether the plan succeeds will depend largely on congressional funding.
What happens next
The Navy and Marine Corps will meet with lawmakers this month to discuss funding the amphibious ship expansion.
Further reading
For broader context on force structure and naval readiness, explore Military coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Defense One.
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