In defense of aircraft carriers.I read your article, "A Navy With Fewer Aircraft Carriers No Longer Unthinkable," (March 2007, page 14). For some strange reason, to me, a Navy with fewer aircraft carriers is unthinkable. Fighting wars at sea is not only about sinking mega-warships, it is about controlling what goes on, under and over the sea. If you don't control the sea, then green or brown water navies will be irrelevant. Right now, the Defense Department is so centered on fighting future wars, that they are going to miss the next one. That will be the one with Red China. Of course there are some that still think that Russia is no longer a threat. As intelligent as Norman Polmar is, I get the impression from your article that he has little understanding of how important the carriers are. Amphibious ships will not and can not control the seas. Just how would amphibious ships have helped in Afghanistan? For my two cents My two cents may refer to either of these:
Only they would be nuclear powered and they would be able to fit through the Panama Canal Panama Canal, waterway across the Isthmus of Panama, connecting the Atlantic (by way of the Caribbean Sea) and Pacific oceans, built by the United States (1904–14) on territory leased from the republic of Panama. . Another thing that the Navy needs is a consistent and steady shipbuilding and aviation program that includes carriers, planes, affordable destroyers, submarines and battleships The list of battleships includes all battleships since 1859, listed alphabetically. The list also contains battlecruisers which share most of the characteristics of a battleship or have otherwise been referred to as battleships. . Retired Rear Adm. Hamlin Tallent said, "Instead, aircraft carriers should be put to use in support of ground operations such as medical outreach, well drilling Well drilling is the process of drilling a hole in the ground for the extraction of a natural resource such as ground water, natural gas, or petroleum. Drilling for the exploration of the nature of the material underground (for instance in search of metallic ore) is best described , road building, special operations Operations conducted in hostile, denied, or politically sensitive environments to achieve military, diplomatic, informational, and/or economic objectives employing military capabilities for which there is no broad conventional force requirement. training." Evidently the admiral in all his years in the Navy never learned the value of aircraft carriers. Supporting ground operations is extremely important, but medical outreach, well drilling and road construction? That is not the proper use of an aircraft carrier. He also says that "naval aviation Naval aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies. Maritime aviation is the operation of aircraft in a maritime role under the command of land based forces such as RAF Coastal Command or United States Coast Guard. will not be engaged in a war against Iran or China any time soon." I wonder how he defines soon. I think the war with China will be a lot sooner--as in 10 to 20 years. Evidently he hasn't been paying attention Noun 1. paying attention - paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people); "his attentiveness to her wishes"; "he spends without heed to the consequences" attentiveness, heed, regard to the fact that Red China has been and is building a blue water navy. Does he think that submarine that surfaced near the Kitty Hawk Kitty Hawk or Kittyhawk, part of an offshore sandbar on Cape Hatteras, NE N.C., E of Albemarle Sound. Nearby is Kill Devil Hill, where the Wright brothers experimented successfully (1900–1903) with gliders and airplanes. recently was sheer accident? It was a blatant warning and a show of force. Donald P. Miller Jr. Winter Park, Fla. |
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