The next boo-boo is long range anti-submarine protection. You can’t always rely on your SSN escort or P8. An SSN is purely an offensive weapon and should not be used as a quarterback’s guard. If you wish to protect a CVBG it has to be used offensively.
Though the S-3 was not a perfect AS aircraft it did have range. Technology has changed since the S-3 but this has to be revisited.
I am still against all the costly bells and whistles of the Ford class. Those bells and whistles will take another 20 years to be institutionalized in The Navy at the rate of build for the Ford class. I still don’t see the logic in an increase of 30% of sortie rate that does not factor in attrition to combat/ mechanical breakdowns and pilot fatigue.
No LHD or medium/mini carrier will replace the big deck but let us look at the world today and tomorrow. LHD/LHA flat decks equipped with F-35Bs and MV-22s can be deadly threats to nations like Iran and North Korea. They are capable of aerial strike as well transport Marines to seize and destroy coastal ports, create area denial points etc etc. They are very versatile ships. Their speed and proper escort is a problem.
As for CVNs Bush and Clinton, I do believe Congress has yet to approve their funding as of Dec.24. Funding was to supposed to be approved this year in a two carrier buy. I would not get my hopes up. With delays with Enterprise and D. Miller and a growing financial fiasco of submarine building out of Newport News Congress may delay further funding until all is investigated.
Previous Message
And like I have said...
We will never get the ability to build big carriers back again if we stop them. So, we had better be really, really sure we no longer want them when we do.
Our one carrier yard will close down, the very specialized work force will disperse, and the skill sets will be lost. Same for the CATOBAR naval aviation industry. And do not even begin to think that we can do both...build large carriers and small ones simultaneously. I can state here over and over how poor the financial situation is, but unless/until anyone is willing to actually sit down and look at the numbers, I am just some sort of broken record. We currently have our two submarine yards share the building of one sub just to keep them both open. That is but one of the better illustrations of our state.
So, if "we the nation" decide to commit at any point to these smaller VSTOL carriers, everyone bid goodbye forever to big carriers, and never look back. Previous Message
Time to stop building big decks and switch to Lightning carriers. LHA/Ds with no troop capability and better speed. Previous Message
I guess we should consider ourselves lucky for getting Enterprise. Previous Message
Navy Secretary Del Toro has named the future aircraft carrier CVN-82 and CVN-83 for former Presidents William J Clinton and George W Bush.
Del Toro Names CVN-82 and CVN-83
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