[oldsalt]

This makes me nervous.The sub-hunting S-3 is history,the P-3 is old and overworked. The Chinese are going to build a sub fleet.There are plenty of Russian subs available for Third World countries to acquire.

Why are we reducing our sub hunting capabilities? We can't rely on DD's and carrier based helos alone.

[Paleo Conservative]

This makes me nervous.The sub-hunting S-3 is history,the P-3 is old and overworked.

But the P-3 design is excellent. It is basically a Lockheed Electra that has been shortened to increase payload weight and range. Why not restart the line and build one or two a month till all the current P-3s are replaced? That way the Navy would have a fleet of new planes, but there would be minimal design costs.

[Oztrich Boy]

This makes me nervous.The sub-hunting S-3 is history,the P-3 is old and overworked. The Chinese are going to build a sub fleet.There are plenty of Russian subs available for Third World countries to acquire.

The Aerospatiale ATL3 Atlantique from America's oldest ally to the rescue

[meatloaf]

That's correct. Faced by an enemy that's going to be throwing more cruise missiles than we can avoid means lots of our surface ships especially DDs are going to be hurting. We need the lookdown advantage of aircraft. Something pops a cruise missile from below and the aircraft nails it soon after.

The aircraft may keep some of the enemy forces from getting close enough to lob a cruise missile.