Seapower is indispensable to our global position, in peace and also in war.
Our shipbuilding program will sustain a 550-ship Navy in the 1990's and we
will continue to build the most capable ships afloat.
The program I have proposed will assure the ability of our Navy to operate
in high threat areas, to maintain control of the seas and protect vital
lines of communication, both military and economic and to provide the
strong maritime component of our rapid deployment forces. This is essential
for operations in remote areas of the world, where we cannot predict far in
advance the precise location of trouble, or preposition equipment on land.