FEATURES Sinking Returns
As costs escalate, the Navy is getting far fewer ships for the money provided in its shipbuilding and conversion budget than it did 30 years ago.
| Year | Budget (in billions) | # of Ships |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | $11.2 | 19 |
| 1975 | 8.9 | 26 |
| 1976 | 10.1 | 16 |
| 1977 | 13 | 16 |
| 1978 | 11.8 | 18 |
| 1979 | 10.1 | 17 |
| 1980 | 11.3 | 11 |
| 1981 | 12 | 20 |
| 1982 | 12.9 | 24 |
| 1983 | 21.6 | 17 |
| 1984 | 16.5 | 22 |
| 1985 | 15.9 | 25 |
| 1986 | 13.6 | 23 |
| 1987 | 14.7 | 21 |
| 1988 | 21.2 | 19 |
| 1989 | 13.5 | 23 |
| 1990 | 14.3 | 21 |
| 1991 | 10.9 | 10 |
| 1992 | 7.5 | 10 |
| 1993 | 6.8 | 8 |
| 1994 | 4.7 | 7 |
| 1995 | 7.3 | 6 |
| 1996 | 7.2 | 6 |
| 1997 | 5.6 | 6 |
| 1998 | 8.8 | 8 |
| 1999 | 6.6 | 6 |
| 2000 | 7.1 | 5 |
| 2001 | 12.5 | 7 |
| 2002 | 9.7 | 5 |
| 2003 | 9.4 | 8 |
| 2004 | 11.5 | 9 |
| 2005 | 10.3 | 8 |
Note: Costs converted to fiscal 2005 dollars.
Source: Defense Department, "Global Shipbuilding Industrial Base Benchmarking Study," May 2005
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