Navy delays last ESB ship procurement for 'higher-priority' vessels

By Mallory Shelbourne / March 22, 2019 at 1:51 PM
The Navy has delayed its purchase of the last Expeditionary Sea Base vessel to fiscal year 2023 so the service can pursue "higher-priority ship procurements," according to a Navy official. In its FY-19 budget request, the service projected the procurement of the last ESB in FY-20, but the FY-20 request submitted last week postponed the purchase to FY-23. "The President's Budget FY-20 shipbuilding plan was built to support the [National Defense Strategy]," Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Chambers told Inside...

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