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Old 15th Apr 2012, 12:56
  #101 (permalink)  
SASless
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Downeast
Age: 75
Posts: 18,267
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The USMC wants 38 Amphib Asault ships....the USN says 30.....the Navy Combat folks want 500 ships....the budget folks say 300. The 300 ship fleet contains 66 Submarines and 32 Amphib Assault ships. Congress is holding hearings on all this.

This shall be a very interesting Hearing Process....it shall pit the Navy directly against the USMC....and both against the DOD and Congress ws the Budget Axe is going to have to fall upon some Sacred Cows.

Over the Horizion again will be discussed and the cost of the Osprey Program will yet again hit the skyline..

A 300 Ship Navy with the expected construction rate for new Ships is too small to support the Shipyards thought critical to the National Defense needs.

Pull up a comfy chair....get out your Beer and Popcorn....this is going to be an interesting couple of Months. The Liberal Democrats are going to want to cut the Defense Budget far more than they have....the Republicans are going to try to keep as strong a Military as it can.....but the inability of Congress to agree on a Budget (none in three years under the Obama Administration and control of the Senate by the Democrats) has launched draconian cuts on the Defense Budget. Something will have to give.....either in the way of Programs, Ships, Aircraft.....or an agreement within Congress to raise the Defense budget.

I bet we see a smaller Osprey fleet....a growing reluctance to build the new Aviation Support Ship (think Osprey Carrier)....fewer F-35's....and a real debate over OTH in the guise of Amphib/Surface Warfare capability for the USN/USMC....dictated by a decision on what percentage of the Ships will be Amphib's. It would appear at the outset that Eight Amphib ships will have to be cut from the mix....which ones will they be and how does that affect the Osprey Program?

Which potential task....Amphibious Assault.....or Counter-Terrorism/Freedom of the Sea missions will take priority? Do we really need our Navy to dedicate over Ten Percent of our fleet units to Amphibious Warfare?
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