As China gears up for war, the United States is … getting left behind.
As seen in a new report from the Washington Free Beacon, the federal government under Biden is making budget cuts that will result in the premature retirement of nearly a dozen ships while also removing missile systems that currently deter Chinese aggression at sea.
All this comes as China, on the other hand, is increasing its building of naval ships.
Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) blasted the administration’s decision.
“The Biden Administration’s defense budget would hollow out our fleet and scrap Navy radars and missile systems we desperately need to deter China,” Wicker told the Free Beacon. “Prematurely retiring our ships sends exactly the wrong signal to China as they continue to build their own Navy at a historic pace.”
The Biden budget would cause the loss of 600 vertical missile systems and retire at least 11 ships, while only ordering the building of nine new ones. This would put the United States at a numerical disadvantage to Beijing.
Currently, the United States has 294 battle force ships, which is lower than the 355 the country is supposed to have by law. Meanwhile, China has a fleet of 340, ships and is expected to have more than 400 by 2025 — part of a plan for fast growth that also includes supplying its military with a fresh stock of surface combat missiles and guided-missile destroyers.
The budget also cuts spending on naval reactors by 5.6 percent, or $1.96 billion over last year’s budget. Naval reactors are used to power nuclear submarines.
Furthermore, Biden’s budget tosses aside the Marine Corps’ request for at least 31 more amphibious warships — three of which are being retired — which would play an important role in a potential war with China. The Pentagon has reportedly balked at the idea of shifting focus away from the Middle East and toward the Pacific.