MC2 Ernest R. Scott
Defense News: Defense Department study calls for cutting 2 of the US Navy’s aircraft carriers
WASHINGTON – An internal Office of the Secretary of Defense assessment calls for the Navy to cut two aircraft carriers from its fleet, freeze the large surface combatant fleet of destroyers and cruisers around current levels and add dozens of unmanned or lightly manned ships to the inventory, according to documents obtained by Defense News.
The study calls for a fleet of nine carriers, down from the current fleet of 11, and for 65 unmanned or lightly manned surface vessels. The study calls for a surface force of between 80 and 90 large surface combatants, and an increase in the number of small surface combatants – between 55 and 70, which is substantially more than the Navy currently operates.
The assessment is part of an ongoing DoD-wide review of Navy force structure and seem to echo what Defense Secretary Mark Esper has been saying for months: the Defense Department wants to begin de-emphasizing aircraft carriers as the centerpiece of the Navy's force projection and put more emphasis on unmanned technologies that can be more easily sacrificed in a conflict and can achieve their missions more affordably.
A DoD spokesperson declined to comment on the force structure assessment.
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WNU Editor: I doubt the Congress will agree to this.
More News On A Pentagon Report Recommending The U.S. Navy Cut Two Aircraft Carriers
Pentagon to U.S. Navy: Cut Two Aircraft Carriers -- National Interest
New Pentagon Study Spells Doom for Two Aircraft Carriers...and Maybe More -- Popular Mechanics
A Nine Carrier US Navy? In 2020? -- The Diplomat
Pentagon Report Advises US Navy to Cut Two Carriers, Adopt More Small Combat Ships -- Sputnik
1 comment:
Well, this is looking good on paper, but what about on reality?
This remind me a bad experience: before Vietnam war the Phantom IV had missiles only, no canon because the Pentagon though it was obsolete. Surprise during the war...it was wrong! And a crash program was needed for adding canon to the Phantom IV.
This is bad enough with a "small war" but terrible with a major one.
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