How many Nimitz-class supercarrier's do you think we need? Think 9 is enough? How about 10?

[NNN0LHI]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_carriers_of_the_United_States_Navy

CVN-68 Nimitz 1975 Nimitz-class supercarrier, lead ship Active
CVN-69 Dwight D. Eisenhower 1977 Nimitz-class supercarrier Active
CVN-70 Carl Vinson 1981 Nimitz-class supercarrier Active
CVN-71 Theodore Roosevelt 1986 Nimitz-class supercarrier Active
CVN-72 Abraham Lincoln 1989 Nimitz-class supercarrier Active
CVN-73 George Washington 1992 Nimitz-class supercarrier Active
CVN-74 John C. Stennis 1995 Nimitz-class supercarrier Active
CVN-75 Harry S. Truman 1998 Nimitz-class supercarrier Active
CVN-76 Ronald Reagan 2003 Nimitz-class supercarrier Active
CVN-77 George H. W. Bush 2009 Nimitz-class supercarrier Christened 2006

[slackmaster]

1. I never feel safe here in San Diego unless there are at least two of those in the harbor

:D

[Captain Hilts]

5. After the Cold War was over, I once saw six lined up in Norfolk and a 7th in the shipyard!

[Scurrilous]

2. How about 11.

CVN-78 Barack Hussein Obama Christened ?

[gratuitous]

3. Only 10?

:scared:

What if Al Qaeda builds a secret navy, sails around the Cape of Good Hope, clandestinely heads north through the Atlantic, and stages a simultaneous midnight attack on Miami, Cocoa Beach, Atlanta, Charleston, Cape Hatteras, Norfolk, Baltimore, Trenton, New York, Boston, and Portland? Boy, you libruls would sure wish we had an 11th relic then, boy!

[taterguy]

20. There are at least three major military air fields near Cape Hatteras

Not to mention all the heavily-armed Good Old Boys that hang out there fishing.

:eyes:

[Captain Hilts]

4. You have to assume that a third are in re-fit at any one time. Each comes in at a lower price...

one of the best deals this country has had.

[Subdivisions]

8. I am currently residing in Newport News, VA, and right now

there are three carriers in town for re-fit.

[Captain Hilts]

11. ...there you go! THIS is why the Bush Admin's suggestion we go down to...

35 attack submarines - 15 Atlantic, 20 Pacific - was ludicrous.

There was nothing at the carrier piers when I drove to Norfolk last week.

GWB has been NO friend of the Navy. The Navy has the smallest number of hulls since before the FIRST World War.

[Thothmes]

34. Unlike the WW I Navy

the current count of USS hulls (283) are all combat ships,(carriers, cruisers, destroyers, amphibs and submarines). The WWI ship count included oilers, colliers, tenders, tugs, supply ships and the battleships, cruiser, destroyers & submarines.

[shadowknows69]

24. A friend of mine is working on one of them

The G.H.W. Bush to be exact. Ewww.

[Bigmack]

6. Each one cost...

About $4.5 billion to build, and $160 million a year to operate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimitz_class_aircraft_carrier

And then there is the nuclear subs... Boomers, Hunter/Killer, and Sea Wolf.
Lotta expensive toys there....

[Captain Hilts]

12. and each one comes in less $ than the previous and they last for 30 years.

A terrific deal compared to a lot of things the government buys.

[Bigmack]

23. Oh, Balls....

The GI bill (the real one, not the bullshit they have now) actually made money for the govt. TVA sent electric power to the rural Southeast. Social Security and Medicare is the best money we ever spent. I could go on.... and on.

WTF do we need with supercarriers and Boomer nuke subs and all that shit when guys with boxcutters can send this country into a fainting tizzy?

Fucking things are nothing but a Giant Fucking Target anyhow.

Besides... we simply cannot afford all that shit any more. We need to have the workers in this country building stuff for the future, rather than the last century.

[Thothmes]

33. Actually the service life of the carriers

is about 40 years, with the midlife rebuild program

[blindpig]

39. Wow! Imperialism on the cheap.

I feel so much safer now, thrifty too.

How can these ships, which produce nothing of value and are utterly unnecessary for the security of the people of the United States, be considered a 'terrific deal'? Unless of course you're selling them to the government.

[grantcart]

7. In considering this you should be aware of the fact that the US Navy

is working on a top secret system of buoys that will provide for robot policing of the waters along the lines as "Predator" policies the skies.

The need for submarines or actual surface presence will be reduced significantly.

[Captain Hilts]

18. They've had stuff like that for years beginning with SOSUS. nt

[RollWithIt]

9. When the new Ford Class Super Carriers are commisioned the Nimitz & Eisenhower will be decommisioned

It's a rotational system planned decades ago.

[arcadian]

10. None of the carriers have been at Norfolk last few times I've been down there.

Usually there are at least two. None of the amphibious assualt ships, which look just like carriers are there either. Makes me think something is up.

[Captain Hilts]

13. It also says that we're overcommitted. There are 3 at Newport News right now. nt

[scheming daemons]

14. I work for a contractor involved in the production of these... I want more of them

;-)


Actually.... the existence of these precludes us from having to build bases all over the world. Having a floating airbase that can move at high speeds anywhere in the world is a valuable asset.


More valuable that just about anything else the Navy does these days.

[Captain Hilts]

16. It makes the Air Force expendable! That's a GOOD thing!

[blindpig]

40. Why do we need bases all over the world?

Unless we are trying to dominate the world, they are useless.

[High Plains]

15. How about 0? I think we have higher priorities.

We could try joining the community of nations instead of being Mr. World Cop.

[Captain Hilts]

17. There are some bad asses out there. nt

[NNN0LHI]

19. Do you think projecting power like this has made us more friends or enemies?

Have they made us more safe or less safe?

Don

[wuushew]

21. What are we protecting?

No one is really looking to invade the United States. With all the rednecks and Southern Baptists the spoils are just not worth the effort. We are out there killing in the name of oil.

Oil is destroying the Earth. No other commodity has a market value exceeding the expense of military force so when it is gone maybe we will finally have a chance at peace.

[taterguy]

27. Everything you say about oil causing wars is absolutely true

But since I have to drive to work I'll just disregard it.

:toast:

[Winterblues]

22. But I think the Republicans could terrorize us even if we had 20

Republicans are quite good at terrorizing America. Fear and Smear is their trademark..

[leftofthedial]

25. 15

maybe 25

or a 100

shit! let's go for 1000!

[maxsolomon]

26. we won't be safe until everyone in the country lives on a supercarrier

and there are no targets left in an empty "homeland".

cuz alkiyduh iz evrywarez!

[hunter]

28. Zero.

Some clever pipsqueak of a terrorist nation is going to figure out how to turn one of these monsters into scrap metal, and the U.S. isn't going to simply freak out like we did after 9/11, we are going to go raging-ape-shit-in-our-pants-shoot-everyone-in-sight psychopathic.

These machines are a symbol of U.S. domination and empire just like the World Trade Center was.

[NNN0LHI]

29. Come on guys. I like watching the Military Channel as much as the next guy but isn't this overkill?

[JVS]

30. Let's sell 4 to China!

[MyNameGoesHere]

31. I served time on four of those

man good times. The mission of the Navy was to protect maritime interests at one time. Now who the fuck knows. If you ask me I think they are necessary, but i am nostalgic about carriers.

[NNN0LHI]

32. If we can't get one recommendation on this one I would say appointing Dennis Kucinich ...

... to be the next Secretary Of Defense Peace is completely out of the question.

Don

[PufPuf23]

37. Recommended lol

I have been following military matters more since 2001 than during Vietnam (where I was of draft age but never drafted and active in SF Bay Area street protests 68-71).

The US aircraft carrier inventory surprised and also that most have been built since Vietnam and post-Cold War. Since I believe war to be foolish and immoral, I am anti-war and feel several orders of discomfort as Earth's greatest military empire ever.

Our military matters should be decreased and also should be more transparent to citizens. We make enemies and we buy temporary allies and this strategy cannot have a good end over the long term.

DK as Secretary of The Department of Peace would be a nice face to present the world and would represent many patriotic Americans but I am a dreamer alas.

[awoke_in_2003]

35. How long will he be out of office...

before some dipshit republican (but then, I repeat myself) says we need one named in the honor of W? My father was on the Independence from '62 and '70, and when I told him the port anchor chain and both anchors were put on the HW he about had a heart attack.

[Junkdrawer]

36. Big Empire...Oh, sure, the Empire only benefits a small elite class...

but aren't we all proud that we can lord it over the rest of the world like we do?

[TheKentuckian]

38. I'm alright with the number

but not with even a dingy being named for the Devil...err Reagan, I mean.