The hearings occurred amid budget disagreements and a delayed defense roadmap. The Commission on the National Defence Strategy’s recent report called for a larger military and closer ties with allies to counter threats from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.

American shipyards today cannot handle the Navy’s peacetime demands. They certainly could not handle wartime conditions. China, however, can. Further, all China needs to do is create enough warships to overwhelm the Americans in waters closer to Chinese territory than to America to give Beijing the victory at sea it seeks over Washington.

Adm. Lisa Franchetti outlined a seven-goal plan for 2027, which Washington has repeatedly said is Xi Jinping's target for readying China's military.