U.S. Navy faces tough resource allocation challenges

As global threats multiply, the United States Navy finds itself stretched thin across multiple regions. In the Middle East, it must respond to Israel’s conflict with Hamas while managing instability in Syria. This means that, after deploying a carrier strike group to deter Russia in the European theater, the U.S. Navy must now operate with the Middle East crisis in mind, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean. At the heart of the United States’ problem and planning dilemma is a growing mismatch between strategic ambition and naval capability. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy has to modernize aging submarines, keep pace with new missile threats and maintain a credible nuclear deterrent — all while struggling with delays, rising costs and labor shortages.