Does America Still Need Aircraft Carriers?

Aircraft from the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group fly in formation during a demonstration above the USS John C. Stennis underway in the Pacific Ocean, April 20, 2013. The group is returning from an eight-month deployment to areas of responsibility for the U.S. 5th and 7th fleets. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Katarzyna Kobiljak

Why America Still Needs Aircraft Carriers -- David H Buss, William F. Moran, Thomas J. Moore, Foreign Policy

The critics are wrong: Flattops are the platform of the future, not the past.

When Adm. Jonathan Greenert assumed office in September 2011 as the 30th chief of U.S. naval operations (CNO), he issued "Sailing Directions" that included three tenets to guide how the U.S. Navy would organize, train, and equip its future force: "Warfighting First," "Operate Forward," and "Be Ready." Combined, they provide the lens through which we should view important operational and budgetary decisions facing our service in both the near and long term.

Since Day One of Greenert's tenure -- faced with the prospect of diminishing defense budgets -- the U.S. Navy has been grappling with the challenge of maintaining sufficient core warfighting capacity and capability, both of which ensure the Navy remains "forward" or capable of strategically influencing global events while maintaining its readiness to respond on demand. For the aviation arm of the Navy, executing the "Operate Forward" tenet is central to who we are as a force and to supporting the defense strategic guidance outlined by the White House in 2012.

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My Comment: This post makes a "convincing" argument .... but in an era of budget cuts and unsustainable debt levels .... America's fleet of aircraft carriers are going to be cut.