This article first appeared in AviationWeek.com.
Virginia Sen. Jim Webb (D), a former Navy secretary and Marine combat veteran, is raising new objections over the Navy’s proposal to home-port a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in Mayport, Fla. Webb wrote Deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn last month asking him to address such concerns before the Pentagon’s Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) completes its assessment of the Navy’s proposal.
According to his aides, “Webb also questioned the transparency of the lobbying efforts by retired Navy Adm. Robert Natter, a former commander of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, who has received more than a million dollars as a paid lobbyist for the state of Florida and the city of Jacksonville.”
Webb, a rising member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has long opposed the move because it would leak prestige and economic power from the commonwealth (Aerospace DAILY, Oct. 26). But Virginian arguments have highlighted financial costs of building up Mayport, previously only capable of hosting conventionally powered flattops, especially in light of budget constraints and competing priorities.
Read the rest of this story, see the last of the year for JSF, ponder USAF choices for nuke security helos and check out the Afghan ISR blimp from our friends at Aviation Week, exclusively on Military.com.
– Christian
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
It's always power and money – not what's best for the nation – -
I wouldn't expect Senator Webb to put the Navy and the U.S. in front of his own political interests; he made a rotten Republican and perhaps the second worst SecNav we've ever seen. As a retired Naval officer; I believe any port that offers the ability to get a carrier from port to open ocean with a 30-minute sea and anchor detail to be more favorable than one that requires transiting the Chesapeake Bay.
Same reason I stopped listening to the KC-X debate a few months ago when the only members of Congress to have an opinion on the issue were the ones with Boeing and NG factories.
Wow a politician berating another person for corruption.
Pot, meet kettle.
The people of North Florida, especially around the Blount Island Command, have been hurting financially for quite a long time. With both the Naval Air Station and Blount Island near by and a populace that provides wages a bit less than Virginia it might actually be a better deal for everyone.
Yes, it sucks to hear that a retired Admiral who built his connections in service is now making $1M to for the same job he did at $160k but that's the same in any practice…how many cops and firemen do you know who retire at 90% while still in their 50's and go back for more. Plenty.
Like every other state in the union, Virginia and Florida is hurting financially but Virginia already has a great share of the Atlantic Fleet providing billions more in state revenue, why not spread it out just a few hundred miles south? And in N. Florida they won't have as severe weather conditions to contend with year round.
Semper Fi
Too bad most of our politicians think of their well being, rather than the well being of the country as a whole.
The simple solution is to move the carrier from Japan to Florida, as explained here. http://www.g2mil.com/Japan-bases.htm
Keeping a carrier there is unpopular with the Japs, unpopular with sailors, costs more money, and it may be attacked.
Fred, your idea is the only one that makes any sense. We do not
need a carrier based in Japan. When I served in the Navy we on
the ships homeported in the states made west-pac cruises
where we always had at least one carrier task force operating
in that part of the world. It costs a fortune to base ships in Japan.
Our tax money would be spent in the USA (Naval Stations) vice
Japan. I say bring the entire task force back and homeport them
in Mayport/SanDiego.
I was stationed in japan and when the GW came there. that carrier is only unpopular with the older Japanese because of the fear of a leak fron the reactor. They don't want another nuclear issue there. Overall the rest of the people there loves the idea because it brings a lot of money there and it also helps protect the country of japan from crazy North Korea. That is pretty much why a carrier is needed there. PLus we help train there military in exercises off of there coast. Japan is one of the safest countries on the planet. Low crime rates and friendly people. most of the crimes are done by young drunk saliors who thinks that the are still at there momas house. Virgina is just greedy and wants everything. That is why I hated living there. Commonwealths love money and will do anything to make it or keep it. They need to split up the carrier force like the westcoast Navy force. We don't need another Pearl Harbor. If a bad guy hits Virgina with the worlds largest Naval base there then i say almost half of the navy would be done!! Five carriers in virgina is just too many.
How much money would it cost to move a carrier a few hundred miles south? How much time would it take off the carriers time to react? While Webb might be doing this because he wants to keep his state strong it does not make his questions less valid.
I would like to say that all of the comments about politics and whats right for the country are right on target! We have learned a lot about National Security over that last few years, and in decades past! I think we need to think about national security and the best things for our Navy. A singular port for our entire east coast carrier fleet just SCREAMS out to me as a problem!!
Why not return a carrier to the same port from whence it came: The USS Kennedy was in Mayport pror to its retirement. Aside from replacement to a point from which it can resume an abandoned fleet location (political?) It can broaden the protection of not having all our eggs in one basket (VA)!
A Nuke Powered Task Force can be on site in any ocean on the planet in about 3 days, is this response time quick enough?
Yes 3 days is fast enough, I think. My point was what do we gain and what does it cost to move it. If we gain little to nothing, and it costs a lot don’t do it. If we gain something for little to no cost, go for it.
I agree three days is fast enough 95% of the time. Because it gives us that vital time to attempt a diplomatic solution, with heavy intimidation. Aggressor knowing a carrier task force, and possibly a MEU is a powerful negotiating chip. and if they still choose to ignore a diplomatic solution, well… We gave them a chance.
Webb has proved completey willing to vote yes on every liberal socialist bill in the Senate – just vote to build another carrier. We'll just print more money. Whats a few hundred billion THESE days? Chump change. Maybe he could angle it so he won't vote yes on health care unless he gets another carrier? Don't forget, they're built here as well as sationed here.
The only question we need to ask here is, "What is in the best interest of the Navy when decidiing the port?" The status of a Senator or a lobbyist shouldn't be a consideration because it's obvious that their interest is self serving, not Nation serving.
Time to quit the political bickering and becoming strategically-savvy.Move the flattop to Fla. Chavez would stop his foolish intention to "socialize" the Caribbean and South American nations..
I have an idea move one carrier to florida. The other to columbia. And the last to argentina. Hehehe.
after webb left secnav, the comnavforcarib got his request to have more ships moved to charleston, s.c., mayport and rotated training(move from autec to key west to gitmo and roosey) 3 days don't seem like much. but it can be alot. the problem is with concentrated cvn's, slight threat can inhibit fleet ops or loss. over 10 yrs ago the norfolk commander was relieved, because picture of the aircraft carriers inline at piers. practicality says move cvn to mayport. time from pier to seabouy from mayport about quarter time for norfolk.
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