Pentagon Said to Offer Cuts in the Billions

The New York Times ^ | 12/30/04 | Eric Schmitt

[1LongTimeLurker]

WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 - The Pentagon plans to retire one of the Navy's 12 aircraft carriers, buy fewer amphibious landing ships for the Marine Corps and delay the development of a costly Army combat system of high-tech arms as part of $60 billion in proposed cuts over the next six years, Congressional and military officials said Wednesday.

[Magnum44]

Interesting story. Just one more to add to my Kennedy file.

I honestly think if she had been christined any other name, she would have been gone before Saratoga and Independence. But its a political thing for Democrats to be able to talk about the Kennedy being on station in the worlds hot spots. And reporters would rather be onboard her than any other ship just to say "Reporting live from the USS John F Kennedy".

[rommy]

I believe eight.

USS Langley, USS Lexington, USS Saratoga, USS Ranger, USS Yorktown, USS Enterprise, USS Wasp and USS Hornet.

[ProudVet77]

Three http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq66-9.htm

[lewislynn]

....We need free prescription drugs more....

< /sarcasm >

[need_a_screen_name]

Thanks guys! Interesting stuff!

[ProudVet77]

Onet thing to consider though when it comes to numbers. The only reason to even have a carrier is to put planes in striking distance of an enemy. But with mid-air refueling and forward air bases, it may be time to rethink their value. Also the cruise missile has changed the picture as well.

[Ruth A.]

Why don't we kick out the UN and dissolve our ties. How much money will that save? Reduce foreign aid. If they have a disaster, then we can ante in as needed. Put all the Congressmen on social security and cut their golden pension plan.

[Sodbuster]

JP-5 is not flammmable at atmoshpheric conditions. Flash point is 140 degrees Farenheit. That's why they carry it on ships. I know. We had an issue with this recently and to make sure that I knew what the hell I was talking about I threw a cigarette into an ashtray filled with JP-5 and it went out. Tried to light it with a lighter and it wouldn't light. Left the cigarette in the ashtray and it lit the cigarette like a wick in a candle. No big deal. JP-8 (Air Force uses) has a flashpoint of 100 degrees and would be concern. JP-4 (commercial avgas if I'm not mistaken) has a flashpoint of -40 degrees and will light up like a roman candle. Twin towers.

Don't know the Navy regs on avgas cleanup.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Great picture.... taken before 9/11.

[Duke Nukum]

When I first read the headline I thought it said:

Pentagon Said to Offer Cats in the Billions

Naturally, I tied this in with the tsunami damage at first and wondered what India and the other affected places where going to need billions of cats for?

Maybe it'll be an Onion story tomorrow.

[MinuteGal]

It's not true that Congresspeeples don't pay into the Social Security fund. They pay into the fund just as most everyone else does.

Prior to 1984, Congress members did not pay into SS because they participated in a special program for civil servants. That program was closed to government employees hired after 1983.

Leni

[Howlin]

This must be why Senator Trent Lott was attacking the SECDEF.

I'd personally like to horsewhip that little dweeb.

[Ruth A.]

Do you have a source? I would be glad to see that. It is my understanding that they still have a killer pension plan.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Yes, cut back on a carrier, and build more F - 22 s ,
If this article is the one I saw at the Drudge Report, then, this news article is from the NYTIMES , I can just imagine, they put out this article with snickers and glee.

[MinuteGal]

www.snopes.com/politics/taxes/pensions.asp

It's an urban myth that congresscritters don't pay into Social Security.

The charges of outrageous sums of pension money paid to them is also urban myth. The average annuity paid to retired congressmen and women is $46,908. While sweet, it is certainly not the hundreds of thousands of pension dollars allegedly paid annually to these retirees.

Leni

[Non-Sequitur]

Could this be the first indication that the Administration expects to keep 100,000 plus troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for the foreseeable future?

[OXENinFLA]

Oh, this is just dumb IMO.

While China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea (to a small extent) are ramping up and preparing for war we're going to DOWNSIZE our war fighting machines?!?!?

This just does NOT make any sense!

---

PING...

[a6intruder]

JFK's keel was put down to be a nuclear carrier like Enterprise (so was America). When USN changed their mind, both JFK and America had to have engineering plants designed for them. As a result, both ships plants were unique. Whenever a major part failed, they, literally, had to machine a new one.

I did a tour as JFK navigator in 88/89 and took her through a PSA at the yard in Portsmouth. We had to manufacture new boiler skirts from scratch, as well as numerous parts for the SSTG's and other engineering systems. You should've seen the electrical switchboards..looked like old telephone operator stations.

All-in-all though a great ship. It is the only carrier that can use both bow catapults while recovering aircraft, as the angle is slightly wider and the port side JBD doesn't foul the landing area.

I did two cruises in VA-34 on her in the late 70's. Amassed about 400 traps and was the top tailhooker on the second cruise. Stateroom on the 02 level underneath WR 1 was great...cold and quiet. Life was good in those days.

What did you fly? East coast or "left" coast?

Warm regards form another tailhooker.

[OESY]

The John F. Kennedy, one of the Navy's oldest carriers, would be retired under a set of proposed reductions for the Defense Department.

[ProudVet77]

Actually there is no force reduction. There will be less of certain systems, but more of others. We have to look at the impact of new technology in planning.
A recent development allows our Aegis class ships to carrier 4x the number of surface to air missiles as they currently do. Four Aegis class ships could probably hold off the entire ChiCom AF now.
Beyond that, the Navy needs to look at the impact of rail guns on the need for carriers. With a range of 200 miles and a flight time of 6 minutes, the amount of destructive power from a single rail gun can equal the destructive power of an entire F-18 CAW.