The U.S. Navy has disbanded one of its ten Carrier Strike Groups (SCGsCSGs), leaving only nine of them for the eleven aircraft carriers in service. This is a money saving measure, as nuclear powered aircraft (CVN) carriers spend twenty percent of their time out-of-service having maintenance done. Thus only 8-9 CSGs are needed at any one time.
We are disbanding one of the organizations that we plug a carrier into when it is ready to sail. It is the air wing and associated escort ships and subs and supply vessels accompanying the carrier.
I think we need to start planning to phase out our big deck carriers. They are really useful against countries with no naval or air power, it is true. But they are too much of an investment in one platform that is too vulnerable to increasingly capable sensors and missiles.
Sometimes I think the Chinese carrier plans are just for show, and that while China will spend the money for 2 or 3 for prestige, they really would be happy if it prompts us to build more of the big targets in response to the perceived threat of Chinese carriers.
