Top to bottom: USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) alongside Nimitz class carriers USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) & USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). Pinterest
David Axe, National Interest: The U.S. Navy's Dream: 12 Aircraft Carriers (But It Can't Happen Until 2060)
A new report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) throws cold water on the prospects for 12 carriers. According to the CRS, it might take the Navy until the 2060s to stabilize the carrier fleet at a dozen vessels. Even that might be optimistic.
The U.S. Navy is struggling to grow its fleet of aircraft carriers.
In December 2016, then-Navy secretary Ray Mabus announced a new force-structure goal for the U.S. fleet. Under Mabus's plan, the sailing branch would expand from around 280 front-line warships to 355 in order to better compete with the growing Chinese navy.
The larger fleet would include 12 large aircraft carriers, up from 11 in the fleet in 2019. China commissioned its first carrier in 2012 and commission its second flattop in 2019. A third Chinese carrier is under construction in Shanghai.
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WNU Editor: It is all a question of money and resources, something that the U.S. Navy is not going to get. My suggestion. Build smaller aircraft carriers.
3 comments:
The US has about 20 carriers of differing sizes. Its the amphibious class that people overlook that adds bulk to the USN. The USS America class ship displaces 45,000 tons can host over 20 F-35B's, with a crew of over 1,100 and can host about 2,000 fully equipped Marines. Here is a pic, tell me that isn't an aircraft carrier.
https://www.naval-technology.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2017/09/1-Image-01-9.jpg
It should not be a question of money alone, as you suggested, WNU.
We first must question why the f we need 12 carriers. Because of China? They will have 4 by 2035, if they are lucky. Why do we need 3 times as many? Why not save some money and go more drone and AI? Those - especially AI - are much much more important force multipliers and will be much more important in any war against China, which might overtake us in that field. Why air craft carriers?
Why?
One carrier must be in theater at all times.
People can stay at sea only so long unless you make them Mamluks.
Ships need yard period for SLEP.
You need a carrier for training. If the EU which is as big as the US provided 4. the US would only need 6. But Merkel and Macron are weasels.
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