U.S. Navy Carrier Readiness

A complex dance of sailors and hulls.

I don’t write about doctrine, systems, and acquisition for air, land, and sea but it would be an unusual day if I didn’t spend at least some time checking out stuff on YouTube, Aviation Week, The War Zone, or some of the other industry outlets. There’s an out of the way chat room, cheekily entitled #ThingsWithWings, that offers ongoing attention on such matters.

Ward Carroll was an F-14 RIO (radar intercept officer) who now has a busy YouTube channel. This eleven minute piece, entitled “Chinese Navy Exploiting American Carrier Gap in the Pacific” to satisfy the YouTube algo’s need for sensationalism, is actually a nice report on the condition and disposition of our carriers. The video also mentions amphibious assault ships in the Mideast, which may be carrying Marine Corps F-35B fighters, as well as activity of allies in the western Pacific.

BLUF:

• Two carriers deployed in Mideast.

• Four available on short notice.

• Four in maintenance, one RCOH(multi-year), three in PIA (one year)

• Kennedy building, due in 2025

• Nimitz fresh out of PIA, one deployment left in her, then decommissioning.

The video closes with mention of the seven carriers that were on scene for Desert Storm … and the years of work it took to return to something like a normal routine.