Congress' demands for nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are sinking the Navy
A law mandating 12 "supercarriers" is too big a cost burden, while strategists worry that they are increasingly vulnerable to Russia and China.
Aug. 28, 2019, 4:30 AM EDT
By Sébastien Roblin
If there’s one thing that brings American politicians together in a time of stark political divisions, it’s love for the U.S. Navy’s fleet of gigantic nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
When the Navy revealed plans in February to retire the “supercarrier†USS Harry S. Truman early instead of paying for a $4 billion mid-life overhaul and nuclear refueling, bipartisan howls of outrage echoed across Capitol Hill, particularly from politicians in Virginia, where the carriers’ sole manufacturer resides. Two months later the proposed plan — rather than the carrier — was scrapped by an ostensible presidential fiat.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/congress-demands-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carriers-are-sinking-navy-ncna1046851
