The White House, Pentagon, And US Navy Have Decided That 11 Active Aircraft Carriers Is The Number That The U.S. Should Have

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, front - file photo. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Scott Swofford)

FOX News/Warrior Maven: Navy 'moves-out' on operating 11 aircraft carriers

They are floating attack machines, small cities on the seas and visible examples of U.S. military power -- and the Pentagon now plans to operate 11 of them.

Aircraft carriers -- long seen as an indelible image of U.S. strength -- have multi-faceted missions such as maintaining safe passageway through the world’s key waterways, deterring potential enemies by ensuring massive retaliatory strike possibility and, of course, waging war on enemies from the seas.

The Trump administration, Pentagon and Navy have now carved a decided path toward a total number of 11 carriers, effectively ending the longstanding debate about how many the U.S. should maintain. Some decision-makers, particularly in the last administration, argued that the Navy could function effectively with only 10 carriers, citing cost and modernization factors. The thinking, as articulated by advocates at the time, was to save money by operating fewer carriers, yet make specific strides to ensure they remain technologically superior. However, Navy leaders and many Pentagon decision-makers have long-cited the fact that the global combatant commander need for carriers has consistently exceeded the number of available carriers. Now, Navy developers say legislation approved for next year has inspired current efforts to “move out” on procurement and preparation for the 11th carrier.

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WNU Editor: The next debate is on how to pay for it.

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