It is easy to sit in a chair and do a hack and slash of the U.S. Navy and play make believe about what fleet numbers should look like. Many have done it in the past. Many will do it in the future.
But I want to still have a Navy as opposed to one in constant budget stress and low capability.
Under severe budget stress, and even more with the fallout of the virus, the U.S. military is going to have unfortunate budget solutions forced on it. Many because the establishment of 900-plus flag-ranks, did not plan for the future.
Let us also look at how we would maintain sea control and do deep strike. Deep strike is a partnership with USAF. Tomahawk Block IV, JASSM, LRASSM. Anything else risks aircrew paraded on the news. Stealth or no stealth.
In the 1990's, the old JAST program (pre-Joint Strike Fighter): nowhere in the definition was the word "aircraft": Joint Advanced Strike Technology. One of the later bosses scratched out the word "advanced" and replaced it with "affordable".
This list is not all inclusive. But here are some important highlights.
The Virginia-class submarine, which is still in production, is a frightfully powerful sea control and deep strike weapon.
The U.S. Navy is buying a new frigate class. This will help keep good naval flag-waving and affordable patrol.
The Burke-class destroyer is still in production. It, along with the Virginia, provide many strike missile tubes.
Get rid of all littoral combat ships (LCS) and Tico cruisers. The later means eliminating an anti-ballistic missile capability of dubious worth.
Get rid of the nuke carriers. The air wing road map for the future is weak and only puts them at risk. There is no wonder fleet aircraft on the horizon to change this. This is a multi-billion dollar high-risk fantasy and not an exercise in pretty, futuristic, click-bait, concept artwork.
Carrier work will assume that it is too risky to face major threats. Just like the big carriers now.
Where we need a portable airfield, more times than not it is for vertical lift aircraft in locations that are already sanitized. This can be Navy, Marines or even... Army aircraft.
21 America-class (not the later Bougainville variant) should be good enough. Equipped today with a handful of F-35Bs, MV-22 and various helicopters. Or, whatever VTOL, STOVL you wish for the future.
Rule of three. 7 in refurbishment after deployment. 7 working up. 7 deployed.
All of this will help us have an affordable, powerful Navy. Including one that is war-attrition tolerant. The ship and submarine programs mentioned, should never go out of production.
There you have it. I have fulfilled my right as an over-stressed taxpayer.
(photo: Wikipedia)
