Middendorf expresses concern about the state of the United States Navy and its ability to deal with the growing Soviet navy. He begins by explaining the importance of the navy to the island nation that is the U.S., pointing out that its major alliances are across oceans and 98 percent of its exports and imports is moved by sea. While the size of the U.S. Navy was reduced by half in the last six years, the Soviet navy has grown from a coastal navy to a shore projection navy. The Soviets have begun construction on their first aircraft carriers, and they have three times more submarines than the U.S. While U.S. ships remain more powerful than Soviet ones, Middendorf emphasizes the vulnerability of the U.S. and calls for authority to build new ships.