The outlook for U.S. Navy firepower doesn't have to be all doom and gloom.
Some clever spending and management on the things that we need to project real power is possible. By dumping bad ideas like the LCS and DDX (scrap; do not follow through), there can be a bright future. Savings can also be had from down-sizing our second land army and cancelling the F-35 program.
Future wars may involve a reduced and/or interrupted supply of fossil fuels. We need a nuke escort for our nuke carriers. That way, you only bring fuel to the carrier battle group that supports air ops.
A nuke "frigate" (friendly funding language) on a destroyer hull (stripped not equipped), could be to our advantage. Something like this:
Nuke Frigate
Gun, Bow VLS, 6xASW torp, (light cal guns as needed) Helo hanger/deck
cost $1.5B
A requirement for 3 hulls per big carrier (we would probably get 2).
Next, the carrier air wing still has some possibilities even if the F-35C never sees service in the fleet.
Start out with something like this where the AT6II label is there only to represent a trainer-class turbo-prop made into a light attack aircraft. This requirement would most likely be a different airframe.
This would be handy in numerous operations; is cheap to operate; is networked and has great loiter and endurance. It is also a bit safer with danger/close strafing. It would be for day or night ops in permissive air environments.
Carrier Air Wing
12 F/A-18E, 12 F/18F, 24 AT6II, 8 Romeo/Sierra, 4 EA-18G, 4 E-2D.
As time goes on, it may be possible that that the UCAS-N will prove itself. The carrier air wing composition below (along with Tomahawk support as needed) would have taken care of the Libya op very well. I mention this because some are so in love with mentioning Libya as a pattern for future war even if it doesn't apply in a Syria, Iran or Kosovo scenario.
12 F/A-18E, 12 F/18F, 24 AT6II, 8 UCAS-N, 8 Romeo/Sierra, 4 EA-18G, 4 E-2D.
And finally, with time, the addition of FA-XX; which should be a Navy priority sooner rather than later.
12 F/A-XX, 12 F/18F, 24 AT6II, 8 UCAS-N, 8 Romeo/Sierra, 4 EA-18G, 4 E-2D.
There may be doom and gloom in the DOD budget climate. There will always be restructuring followed by more doom and gloom. We may loose some carriers to budget cuts.
With that, the Navy still can have a bright future; if only resources are not wasted on things we do not need.
