ping95,000 tons of U.S. sovereignty deployable around the world without having to ask permission.
Offical Uniparty policy in Washington right now is to raise taxes and cut spending to manage the ever increasing debt load they put on.
Military pensions, extended unemployment, food stamp money in the food stamp bill have all been cut recently.
Its no wonder we have to have shows about executive orders, a higher minimum wage, how Obama is bad and Obamacare is wrong.
The emotional arguments hide the political machine’s real policy being made in Washington that will probably lead to fewer aircraft carriers, air groups, divisions etc. etc. etc.
People on the Left and Right have real reasons to be upset with the policymaking inside the beltway by Obama-Boehner-Reid-McConnell etc.
What’s the 11th carrier? I’m only counting 10.
That plan worked SOOOOO well in September 2011! How well did parking rows of aircraft on display in Hawaii work in December 1941? This O'Hanlon does not get it. The muhamedans don't like non-muhamedans, nor often, fellow muhamedans. Obsama's excuse for 9/11 was that US forces remained in muslim countries, especially Saudi Arabia! Parking USAF aircraft on bases in such countries, is asking for trouble! The only counterpoint to that argument may be Soviet Russia or Chinese stealth weaponry that could hit a carrier.
pingGuns versus butter. Butter wins every time. The welfare state will reduce America power. Our days are numbered as a Superpower.
USS George Washington
What the heck? This is a relatively new carrier. I know it is due for refueling, but why not get rid of the Nimitz? Crazy times. Well of course keeping all of them would be preferred.
Now this.
I understand the need to adjust to technology and potential adversaries but when it comes to Power Projection, nothing beats a CBG.
Now, for the less glamorous role of keeping the sea lines of communication open there are reasonable alternatives.
It's still about PLATFORMS and being able to keep enough of them at sea.
Today a "Destroyer" in USN classification is 9,000+ tons. That's outright ridiculous. I served on Destroyers that were but 3,500 tons.
The USN needs a new lightweight combatant. Somewhere between 3 and 4k tons...but with all the modern voodoo. At least 100 of them.
That and another 50 light submarines. They don't eve3n have to be nuclear powered.
Hold the Carriers back for all but real need instead of wearing out the hardware a crews for BASIC armed presence.
Then we could get away with 10 Battle Groups.
America needs to be aware that China presents a huge challenge, which nobody is really paying attention to.
China has five times America’s population. China now exports more than America does.
And America runs a MASSIVE deficit with China. (appx 400 billion sold to America, vs 100+ sold to China)
America is challenged. Threatened perhaps. Everyone is complaining about Russia, while China is rapidly becoming a major world power.
We need to bring back American industry.
Now.
Yeah! RIGHT! Then we can be hostage to the politics of several countries.
carriers are going to become the battleships of the age.
make these invisible to the brahmos and the yakhont
or there will be a lot fewer than 11.
How to pay for a carrier group?
What about ending government subsidies for bastard farming, AKA “welfare”?