There have been four serious US naval incidents in the western Pacific this year, putting a spotlight on an overstretched branch of the American military. After the most recent collision involving the USS John S. McCain, some experts are speaking out about the increased burden the Navy is carrying, Justin Bachman reports. The Navy had 271 ships in 2015, 20% fewer than in 1998, and still kept 100 ships out at sea, according to Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment. “Something’s got to give,” said Jerry Hendrix, a retired Navy captain. Bryan McGrath, another retired Navy captain, called the force “thinly stretched.”
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