CNO: 33 ($1.4 billion dollar) amphibs will meet Corps’ demands

[unhappycamper]

CNO: 33 amphibs will meet Corps’ demands
By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 4, 2010 20:34:19 EST

SAN DIEGO — The Navy’s top officer said he’s “pleased” with the service’s shipbuilding plan, which includes additional submarines, electronic warfare aircraft, joint high-speed vessels and a large-deck amphibious ship for the Marines.

The Quadrennial Defense Review released Monday by the Pentagon calls for an amphibious fleet sized at 29 to 33 ships. Navy officials are holding the line on what they see as the naval requirement of 33, but Marine Corps officials have pressed for additional ships, as many as 38.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead said he has regularly discussed the issue with Marine Commandant Gen. James Conway but maintains that the current fleet levels would still meet the Corps’ needs.

“I don’t dispute the Marine Corps’ right of saying 38,” Roughead said, speaking with reporters after his address Thursday at “West 2010,” a four-day conference sponsored by U.S. Naval Institute and Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. “It’s all about priorities. We believe we can structure the force with what the Marine Corps needs with 33.”

Roughead, who addressed the conference at a luncheon on a short trip to California, said that additional ships such as existing big-deck amphibious ships and new joint high-speed vessels will play a role as well in supporting Marines.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/02/navy_cno_amphibs_020410w/

[Recursion]

1. New hovercrafts are coming too

I love those boats.

[MadHound]

2. More money for war toys, less and less for the rest of us

This is a huge reason why the US is declining, we're spending far too much of our resources on the military.

We need to end the wars, and cut our defense budget in half. We could save billions, invest in our society, and still be the biggest badass on the block.