Who needs carriers? USA not any more…

Here we go, Qasay Bush-fans! Hardly in White House, the new US president shows how he plans to take care about armed services, and that there are good (}>) reasons for so many members of US armed services supporting him….

Jane’s Defence, Jan 28

“Defense Secretary Don Rumsfield admitted that financing development of a missile defense system and pay raises for servicemen could not be accomplished without a substantial increase in defense funding unless downsizing were to occur in other areas. As the main plank in President Bush’s platform is to provide tax relief, Rumsfield acknowledged, new funding was unlikely, so military cuts will have to be considered.

Items on the chopping block could include the 27 Ticonderoga class guided missile cruisers, the Spruance destroyers, and the older Tarawa Class LHAs. “We’re committed to maintaining at least an 8-carrier Navy, as naval aviation is the backbone of American deployment”, said Rumsfield, in response to a reporter’s querry about decomissioning carriers, which have come under increasing attack as being too expensive to operate, extemely vulnerable to enemy attack, and obsolete in nature.

All remaining conventionally powered Kitty Hawk class carriers are now slated for scrapping in compliance with the Kyoto treaty, and the Defense Department is likely to put the oldest nuclear carriers, the Enterprise and the Nimitz, into mothballs.

Asked about the decision to reduce the size of the fleet, Rumsfield pointed out that the Navy is developing a smaller, cheaper destroyer, tentatively named the Elmo Zumwalt class, whic “will ultimately be available in sufficient numbers to obviate the need for such expensive platforms as the Ticonderoga.”

The Jr. also forgot what his pa was doing during the WWII, huh? Nice. He’ll now finish the job senior started ten years ago: then nobody needed Tomcats, now nobody needs carriers and their escorts. Actually truth: when even new aircraft which should fly from them are not worth it… I congratulate to all the members of US armed services which vote for this government: truth, you’ll earn more, but also have to do more for that money, and with less weapons and equipment…