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QDR Likely Kills Two Carriers, EFV
UPDATED: JSF Cut About 100 Planes, One Year Added to ScheduleWord on Capitol Hill is that the Quadrennial Defense Review should result in the demise of two Navy carrier groups and the Marines Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle. On top of that, the Joint Strike Fighter program is likely to lose a so-far uncertain number of planes and the Air Force looks to lose two air wings. Folks on the Hill are watching the carrier cuts particularly closely. They were willing to accept the temporary loss of one carrier but two groups may just be too much for lawmakers to swallow though it would conveniently answer the hot debate about whether the Navy faces a fighter gap. Even if they cut two carrier strike groups (which will be an uphill battle for DOD), they still face a significant USN fighter gap, said a congressional aide following this. The Navy seems to recognize this, but everything weve heard thus far from OSD seems to indicate that theyd rather try funny math then address a clear gap. The 2010 defense authorization report noted carefully that Congress was willing to accept the temporary reduction in minimum number of operational aircraft carriers from 11 to 10 until CVN 78 is commissioned in 2015. The report also noted that the Navy has made a long-term commitment to field 11 aircraft carriers outfitted with 10 carrier air wings composed of 44 strike-fighters in each wing. Congress, the reports authors said, is very concerned about current and forecasted shortfalls in the strike-fighter inventory. Given the totemic nature of carriers for the Navy and the numbers of jobs and the money at stake for members of Congress, a battle royal over plans to permanently reduce the fleet by two carrier groups seems assured. On the Joint Strike Fighter, one congressional aide said a cut to the F-35s overall numbers would not be surprising given the programs rising costs and the tightened budget situation the country faces for 2011. And now we have some detail about just how big those cuts may be, Our colleagues at Inside Defense are reporting that a draft Pentagon directive would result in extending, development by at least a year, reduce production by approximately 100 aircraft and require the addition of billions of dollars to the effort through 2015. The Marines are unlikely to sit still for the EFV kill. Reports are that Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway will come out swinging to preserve the ability to kick down the door and ensure forcible entry from the sea. Jones made his basic position on the problem-plagued EFV during a May speech at CSIS. Posted by: Hupereth Glack5732 2009-12-10 |
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