Two U.S. Carrier Groups May Be Cut Plus Other Programs: QDR

Philippine Sea (June 18, 2006) - U.S. Navy aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) sail in a 15-ship formation along with ships from the three carrier strike groups as a Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force aircraft formation perform a fly-by during the photo portion of Exercise Valiant Shield 2006.

QDR Likely Kills Two Carriers, EFV -- DoD Buzz

Word on Capitol Hill is that the Quadrennial Defense Review should result in the demise of two Navy car­rier groups and the Marines’ Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle. On top of that, the Joint Strike Fighter pro­gram is likely to lose a so-​​far uncer­tain num­ber of planes and the Air Force looks to lose two air wings.

Folks on the Hill are watch­ing the car­rier cuts par­tic­u­larly closely. They were will­ing to accept the tem­po­rary loss of one car­rier but two groups may just be too much for law­mak­ers to swal­low though it would con­ve­niently answer the hot debate about whether the Navy faces a fighter gap.

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My Comment: The dismantling of the U.S. military is now on full display for anyone who is interested. I doubt that Congress will permit such drastic cuts .... but with President Obama making it very clear that his goal will be to cut the U.S. budget deficit in the next 3 years .... a political battle is about to unfold, with the U.S. Defense Budget in the White House's sights.