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Tech leaders sit as they testify before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on Capitol Hill on May 8, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
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Ships from the George Washington and Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Groups steam in formation at the conclusion of Valiant Shield 2014. (U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Paolo Bayas/Released)
President Trump campaigned on the promise to rebuild and renew American military power. Increasing the size of the Navy from 274 ships to 350 is central to this goal. However, such an increase in naval strength will require considerable resources and cannot happen overnight. In order to ensure success, important questions must be answered about the strategy, size, shape, and capabilities of the future Navy: the appropriate mix of ship designs, the role of unmanned systems, the efficacy of current methods of posturing naval forces, and the threats this force is likely to face.
On March 1, Hudson Institute's Center for American Seapower hosted an expert panel discussion on the challenges associated with meeting the 350-ship goal. Former Under Secretary of the Navy Janine Davidson and Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments Senior Fellow Bryan Clark joined Hudson Institute's Seth Cropsey and Bryan McGrath to discuss the steps needed to make the 350-ship Navy a reality.
Related Events
11
February 2026
Past Event
The National and Economic Security Implications of Fusion Energy
Featured Speakers:
Jimmy Goodrich
Keith LeChien
Jackie Siebens
Caleb Barnes
Trent Bauserman
Daniel B. Sinars
Shaun Walsh
Moderators:
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Nadia Schadlow
11
February 2026
Past Event
The National and Economic Security Implications of Fusion Energy
To examine the future of fusion and its geopolitical implications, Hudson will host a two-part event.
Featured Speakers:
Jimmy Goodrich
Keith LeChien
Jackie Siebens
Caleb Barnes
Trent Bauserman
Daniel B. Sinars
Shaun Walsh
Moderators:
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Nadia Schadlow
12
February 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Opportunity and Uncertainty in the Middle East: Next Steps for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Featured Speakers:
Rebar Ahmed
Joel Rayburn
12
February 2026
In-Person Event | Invite Only
Opportunity and Uncertainty in the Middle East: Next Steps for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Join Hudson for a deep dive into these topics with Interior Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government Rebar Ahmed, one of the region’s most experienced and respected statesmen.
Featured Speakers:
Rebar Ahmed
Joel Rayburn
13
February 2026
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
A Strategic Response to Sino-Russian Cooperation: Perspectives from Europe and the Indo-Pacific
Featured Speakers:
Greg Brown
Patrick M. Cronin
Justyna Szczudlik
Moderator:
Masashi Murano
06
February 2026
Past Event
Davos, the Arctic, and Forging Transatlantic Unity: The Romanian View with Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu
Featured Speakers:
Oana Țoiu
Peter Rough
06
February 2026
Past Event
Davos, the Arctic, and Forging Transatlantic Unity: The Romanian View with Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu
Please join Romanian Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu as she returns to Hudson for a fireside chat with Center on Europe and Eurasia Director Peter Rough to take stock of the past year and anticipate what might lie ahead.
Featured Speakers:
Oana Țoiu
Peter Rough
Related Research
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Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the opening of a study session at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee National Academy of Governance on January 20, 2026. (Getty Images)
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Soldiers assemble a Ukrainian GARA drone before a combat mission in the Pokrovsky direction, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, on January 23, 2026. (Getty Images)
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An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea on January 28, 2026. (US Navy)
