"America's Navy Needs 12 Carriers & Three Hubs" Topic

"President Obama's latest defense budget would shrink the US Navy's fleet from 11 aircraft carriers to ten absent additional funding. But the truth is that America is currently a nine-carrier nation.

Several years ago, Congress waived the 11-carrier requirement. As a result, the Navy currently operates ten aircraft carriers until the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) joins the fleet in 2016. But one is in constant maintenance at all times and unavailable for global deployment.

Whereas the question used to be "Where are the carriers?" a new question emerges—"What carriers?"…"
Full article here.
link

Amicalement
Armand

Can't afford it, sorry. But if the F-35 program can be canceled to fund a 12-carrier navy, then go for it.

I agree with 28mm Fanatik just cancel the F-35 program if you want 12 carriers. I rather have a carrier than a couple of F-35's.

Ugh. Tango, please stop with this topic.

Here's the deal. "President Obama's latest defense budget" is NOT a budget. It is a proposal, nothing more. Every Administration offers up the defense budget they know that their base wants to see. This is especially so in mid-term election years. It is never expected to pass in Congress, and I'm guessing none ever has. Bits and pieces may find their way into the Congressional budget, but that's it.

Congress, not the President holds the purse-strings, and they, not the President will decide the fate of our aircraft carriers.

Armand, I really enjoy most of your topics, but this one is too provocative, IMHO, and it's based on an incorrect assumption. Let's move on, shall we?

Not my intention to be provocative my friend.
I'm interested in the project of 12 new Carriers and the three Hubs only.

Amicalement
Armand

It's his proposal, and shows the direction he wants to go, so I think it is a valid, economic and defense topic for discussion.

From what I've heard in the news, as well, we are already down to nine, useful carriers now.

I hate the F-35 as much as the next guy, but canceling it to fund an additional carrier sounds like armchair general speak from people that dont understand reality. You axe the F-35 and you maybe buy another carrier… what are the Air Force and Marines going to replace their aging airframes with? Whats the Navy going to replace their aging Hornets with? What planes are you going to actually fly off of that new carrier anyway?

In any case, I think carriers are slowly going the way of the battleship (despite the authors attempts to suggest otherwise).

With our current funding model, maintaining carriers is looking more and more like an expensive luxury. I honestly wonder if there will be another full-size carrier after the Ford-class. Gators, for sure, but the silver-bullet, concentrated model may not be financially and operationally feasible for much longer.

That said, with our current funding model, there will be no room for military spending by 2025. I'm not exaggerating.

When you say funding model, what exactly are you referring to?

Plus, lose the F-35 and you don't just lose the use of US carriers – you lose the potential use of two British carriers.

It's his proposal, and shows the direction he wants to go, so I think it is a valid, economic and defense topic for discussion.

It's a bargaining position and a way to stoke the base. Nothing more. That's all these midterm defense proposals have ever been. That's politics. Besides, Obama is actually a fan of aircraft carriers. In fact, that article points that out suggesting that your assumption is incorrect.

In any case, I think carriers are slowly going the way of the battleship (despite the authors attempts to suggest otherwise).

I agree. What is a super-carrier's mission anyway? I can't think of a single situation since the Viet Nam war where our CVs played a pivotal role. If the mission really is power-projection and intimidation then we should have put a couple/few off the North Korean coast when they pulled the safeties off their nuclear weapon labs, or into the Persian Gulf when Iran started their nuke program, or there would be one or more steaming into the Black sea right now.

I would love to be convinced otherwise, but I really don't see how the biggest most expensive warships in the world are doing the job they were built for. And if they aren't why do we need them?

I would gladly trade a carrier for a dozen real frigates. I would gladly trade the entire LCS program for a dozen more. Or perhaps we could extend the production run on the DDG-1000's. And oh yeah… how about a new Anti-Ship missile? In the age of the Sunburn and Brahmos, Harpoon is sadly overmatched.