July 6, 2020
Could 'Baby' Aircraft Carriers Be the Next U.S. Navy Super Weapon?
You can't get something for nothing.
by Michael Peck
Key Point: Less capability is the price tag for lower shipbuilding costs.
The bottom line of a new study on U.S. aircraft carriers: you can't get something for nothing.
The Navy can buy smaller, cheaper carriers rather than the $13 billion Ford-class behemoths it is currently constructing, according to a new study by RAND Corporation. But smaller and cheaper means reduced capabilities, and could prevent the Navy from fighting in hostile waters or providing the air support for ground operations.
The RAND study is a public version of a classified study conducted in 2016 at the behest of the U.S. Navy, which was ordered by Congress to examine cheaper options than the Ford-class carriers.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/could-baby-aircraft-carriers-be-next-us-navy-super-weapon-164182
