NORFOLK, Va. — Defense News is reporting that a Pentagon office has proposed reducing the number of aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy fleet from 11 to nine.
The Defense Department reportedly wants to begin de-emphasizing aircraft carriers as the centerpiece of the Navy's force projection and put more emphasis on unmanned technologies
Under the proposal, the Navy would retire two aircraft carriers and put the savings into buying several dozen frigate-sized ships, as well as large unmanned ships.
"They are incredibly capable platforms, something that we should not look at getting rid of in our inventory," said Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va., 1st District). "And if we are going to transition from aircraft carriers to something else, I want to know what that is."
Wittman, the Ranking Member of the House Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, isn't sold on the idea.
He's even tweeted about it, reminding the Navy that the federal statute requires that the nation maintain 11 aircraft carriers.
"The federal law says you have to have eleven, and you have to have the operational capability to have presence around the world," he said.
Wittman says to maintain the necessary U.S. naval presence around the globe, under this proposal, the math just wouldn't work.
"You're just not going to be able to do that with nine aircraft carriers," he said.