Make US Navy Great Again ?
This November 9th, 2016 American voters elect Donald J. Trump (1946 - ...) as the 45th President of the United States of America. The new Commander has the necessary powers to decide on the format and use of the US armed forces. There is every reason to be interested in his proposals about the US Navy. The naval force of Ronald Reagan is cited as a reference point. Make US Navy Great Again?
Building a broad military effort remains to fund its proposal concerning the national security safeguard response capabilities. They do not appear to strengthen the projection of power at the expense of projection forces, much less an administration to the detriment of others. The general format would be raised with the transition from 470 to 540 000 men for the US Army and 182,000 (24 battalions) to 240 000 men (36) for the US Marine Corps. The US Air Force dates back to 1100-1200 hunters. The US Navy date back to 276-340 ships. Without extensive financial analysis, it turns out, in this reading, that the military effort announced does not seem to reverse the current logic.
Make US Navy Great Again? Not exaggerate because even halved since the Reagan era (peak to 590 ships for a declared goal of 600 cases), the Navy of the United States remains, with 276 combat ships this year (lowest since 1915) both qualitatively and quantitatively, the world's naval force. And the US Navy is even the second air force in the world.
A profound change occurs because Reagan was to be measured in the Red Fleet of the Soviet Union while the other important marine were allied to Washington. Today, the global shipbuilding situation is much more mixed and diluted American naval power. The MAPL (Navy of the People's Liberation Army) is the world's second navy in volume and asserts, program after program, mission after mission, as a force of military credibility without constantly reinforced. India tends to reach third place, spurred by rivalry with Beijing. Japan and South Korea competing with European marine and exceed in many areas, mainly the surface fleet. The situation was better bed for carrier battle groups as the goal of 15 aircraft carrier is lowered to 11 "only" while India and China aspire to maintain each in 4 of 2030, England 2, France 1.
The current programming retains a target of 308 boats by the decade 2020. The naval plan proposed by Trump carries the objective to 340 ships. The threshold of 300 warships would be taken before 2020. It is not the 600 ships Reagan. The use of the surface is preferred in proposals to counter the missile threat.
How Donald J. Trump he manage to support the goal during his first presidential term?
Indicatively, the model of 308 ships to perform during the 2020s included in a congressional report:
• 12 SSBN (X) or Columbia class;
• SSN 48 (Los Angeles and merged classes Virginia);
• 11 aircraft carriers;
• 88 cruisers and destroyers (Zumwalt class, Ticonderoga and Arleigh Burke);
• 52 frigates (LCS and its potential developments);
• 34 amphibious units;
• 29 logistic units;
• 34 support vessels.
The administrative and industrial inertia consume time and energy. The difficulty is reinforced by the inability to translate NAVSEA Naval needs in successful programs for the surface fleet and even submarine fleet (financial difference between a Seawolf and Virginia is not particularly bright). The setbacks DD (X) (Zumwalt class) and LCS (Littoral Combat Ship Freedom of classes and Independence) limited the opportunities for power recovery.
The number of SNA Virginia produced each year could only be observed, again in phase lead with two units ordered each year before the initial deadline of 2021. Decision potentially save the extension of Los Angeles Flight I and II, even 688I. And why not three controlled units each year? Scale effects induced with the reconstruction of a sub-marinade around a class of attack submarine in the context of a naval force invited to consider this hypothesis pending SSN (X) 2030s .
The acceleration of the aircraft carrier program with the command by one every year or two virtually in phase advance (this had already occurred in the 1980s), optimize the industrial chain. Except that Trump has not (yet) committed to a return to the target of 15 aircraft carriers. And visibility of such an investment would only affect a possible second term of Trump. Especially since it would involve Carrier Air Wing (CVW) extra (ten in operation today) while the current constitution CVW already consume appropriations even amputating the construction of other boats.
Is it possible to run even more Arleigh Burke? Trump has pledged to increase the number in all cases. This would increase as the number of escorts that provide for the replacement of older units. As for "frigates", the target of the LCS program stopped 40 units after a set of decisions rather confused. Alternative fault, the program could be continued serenely at great structural decisions, such as a final specialization of units due to the failure of mission modules and especially stopping a choice in favor of one of the two hulls.
The modernization of Ticonderoga cruisers (22 units), another commitment of the new US President, compete or be added to the proposal of Huntington Ingalls build new cruisers. The proposed model is developed from the hull of the San Antonio (LPD-17). With 25 000 tonnes, they would become the greatest American cruisers from the Des Moines class (around 19 000 tonnes) and no longer find the battleships as comparator.
The objective seems attainable at the price of energetic and balanced decisions. It should be noted that the number (with or without robots?) Is considered one of the factors of military superiority rather than the only quality materials and power systems
