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McCain to Navy: Get shipshape or face severe cuts
Stars & Stripes ^ | 2011-07-28 | Kevin Baron

Posted on 07/28/2011 6:07:32 PM PDT by rabscuttle385

WASHINGTON – Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., warned Thursday that the Navy could see the most severe budget cuts of all the services, especially if it doesn’t get its act together on two major weapons systems that Congress has put under hot lamps: the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the Littoral Combat Ship.

“The Navy,” McCain said, “…could be the service that’s most adversely affected.”

(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: biggovernment; mccain
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1 posted on 07/28/2011 6:07:37 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
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To: rabscuttle385
Well, after all, we do have illegal aliens to support.
2 posted on 07/28/2011 6:09:32 PM PDT by WHBates
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To: rabscuttle385

Mclame, I respectfully say, stfu.


3 posted on 07/28/2011 6:09:54 PM PDT by Mmogamer (I refudiate the lamestream media, leftists and their prevaricutions.)
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To: rabscuttle385

Yeah John, cut down our ability to project the fact that it’s a bad idea to screw with us.


4 posted on 07/28/2011 6:09:54 PM PDT by wastedyears (SEAL SIX makes me proud to have been playing SOCOM since 2003.)
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To: rabscuttle385

http://www.military.com/news/article/lawmaker-navy-faces-alarming-readiness-deficiencies-.html

“NAPLES, Italy — More than a fifth of Navy ships fell short of combat readiness in the past two years, and fewer than half of the service’s deployed combat aircraft are ready for their mission at any given time.

With an ascendant China on the high seas and a potential $400 billion in Defense Department budget cuts over the next decade, the Navy is facing “glaring deficiencies that are nothing short of alarming,” the ranking member of the House’s Readiness Subcommittee said at a hearing this week.

The Navy’s deployed ships spend nearly 40 percent of their time under way with at least one major equipment or system failure, according to U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., chairman of the subcommittee, which falls under the House Armed Services Committee.”


5 posted on 07/28/2011 6:11:19 PM PDT by Eyes Unclouded ("The word bipartisan means some larger-than-usual deception is being carried out." -George Carlin)
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To: rabscuttle385

Will these cuts then allow the arming of the Muslim Brotherhood (aka al-Qaeda) in Libya, like you want, John?


6 posted on 07/28/2011 6:11:39 PM PDT by SERKIT ("Blazing Saddles" explains it all......)
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To: rabscuttle385

Take THAT, you Hobbits! Back to the Middle Earth with you! I’m Luke Skywalker...and stuff.


7 posted on 07/28/2011 6:14:55 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (Oh, well, any excuse to buy a new gun is good enough for me.)
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To: rabscuttle385

Sounds like McLame is preparing the way to skip to the Marxist party with his buddies of the left. Expect the announcement soon.


8 posted on 07/28/2011 6:16:50 PM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: rabscuttle385

This from the man who lost 5 planes!


9 posted on 07/28/2011 6:18:51 PM PDT by Roccus (Obama & Holder LLP, Procurers of fine arms to the most discerning drug lords (202) 456-1414)
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To: rabscuttle385
Yeah Navy, shape up, we can't be crashing five or so front line fighter aircraft per pilot, anymore. It's considered irresponsible and a waste of funding, now.
10 posted on 07/28/2011 6:22:13 PM PDT by Navy Patriot (Holy flippin' crap, Sarah rocks the world!)
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To: rabscuttle385

There are so many things wrong with military procurement, it’s impossible to even start fixing it.
Congress budgets money one year at a time so companies build each item as a one-off rather than invest in automation.
Companies are rewarded for high costs because government limits profits to 10% over costs. Why cut corners and lose money?
The military wants big, expensive new technology bending “sexy” projects rather than incremental improvements. Big projects get you promoted. Little projects go unnoticed, so we get an F-35 rather than upgraded F-16’s.
The objective of every project is to put as many dollars into every Congressman’s district as possible. Purchases start even before the design is formalized. This front-loading means that design and production are concurrent; utter stupidity.
Each contract is loaded with special set-asides for minorities, ludicrous environmental idiocy and handouts to congressional favorites. (Too many contract problems to list here.)
This is just a fast blush at the problems. Where do you start?


11 posted on 07/28/2011 6:25:30 PM PDT by Gen.Blather
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To: Roccus

I have an idea for ya John, put more women and gays on the ships. Yea, that will do it.


12 posted on 07/28/2011 6:25:40 PM PDT by AGreatPer (Support the troops. Every Friday night at Walter Reed. (subject to change after tomorrow))
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To: rabscuttle385

Does anybody think the Navy is going to put it chips on an airplane shared with the Air Force and a line of ships of a Zumwalt Class?


13 posted on 07/28/2011 6:28:15 PM PDT by oyez (The difference in genius and stupidity is that genius has limits.)
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To: rabscuttle385

ANY CONGRESS CRITTER THAT VOTED TO GUT THE MILITARY VOTED TO BETRAY THE REST OF US AMERICAN CITIZENS. A government who does NOT keep their commitments to the Military, will NOT keep them to the average Joe or Jane citizen.

VFW ALERT:
http://www.vfw.org/News-and-Events/Articles/STOP-CONGRESS-FROM-PASSING-AMERICA-S-DEBT-ONTO-VETERANS/


14 posted on 07/28/2011 6:29:32 PM PDT by GailA (REFORM IS THE WORD, NOT just piddly phony cuts, and more taxes!)
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To: Gen.Blather

The Brits are now hinting that several regiments are marching home from the sandbox and straight into the history books. The Royal Navy is a shadow of what they had during the Falklands. Our Navy will be under Panetta’s sharp axe.

Just as China’s military is ascendent...

When was the last time an American President sent a carrier battle group through the Taiwan Straits as a show of resolution to China? It will probably never happen again. The South China Sea is becoming a Chinese lake.

I wonder when the last USN carrier battle group will leave the Persian Gulf, never for a carrier to return?

It’s the twilight of an era. In a way it reminds me of the British experience after 1945. Only there is no friendly superpower behind us this time to carry the load.


15 posted on 07/28/2011 6:32:58 PM PDT by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: rabscuttle385
LCS. Engines are faulty. Mission modules don't work and can't me exchanged at pierside. Low number crew always exhausted and making mistakes. Hulls defective and rotting from galvanic chemistry with sea water. An utter disaster. And the Navy plans to build 55 of these mistakes. Never happen. Two built. Neither works. $220M per hull now $480M and climbing. Two under construction (won't work, either). The rest? Pipe dream. Meanwhile, we're tossing out the Perrys which, while marginal in deep water, could do the littoral role we need.

F-35. The ghost of McNamara's F-111 "multi-service fighter." Utter failure in that role. Found a home in ISR, at least. F-35 will not be built in meaningful numbers. VTOL version does not work.

LPD-17. Lead ship still a floating disaster. The rest built by commercial shipyards -- no quality control. Unions delay completions by years.

Mixed manning. A real winner. Making crew members of combatants from civil merchant marine sailors -- up to 50% of the crew. Disaster waiting to happen.

P-8. Too big and 20 years late. 18 hour flights with one crew. Good luck with that. Cannot do low-level ASW. Plan is to do all ASW at high altitude. Excuse me while I laugh for five or ten minutes.

New Fast Reaction Coast Guard Cutters. Hulls crack while moored. Main and O-1 decks come lose from hull. Very pretty and sturdy as Christmas tree ornaments. Comm suites don't work. A real plus in homeland defense.

Makes me want to cry for my sea service. Obama is accelerating the destruction of the military.

16 posted on 07/28/2011 6:34:00 PM PDT by pabianice (")
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To: SERKIT

When you cut pay and benefits to the most under paid, over worked 1% of the population the answer is YES!

Go read the VFW alert I posted and see what BOTH parties are back room dealing of going to going back on their promises on. Then go read about the Bonus Army of WW1, the last time the gov’t broke their promises to the Military.


17 posted on 07/28/2011 6:34:59 PM PDT by GailA (REFORM IS THE WORD, NOT just piddly phony cuts, and more taxes!)
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To: rabscuttle385

I read recently that they plan to cut the Navy budget by $10 billion. Is ACORN still going to get $8 billion?


18 posted on 07/28/2011 6:34:59 PM PDT by TigersEye (No dark sarcasm in the press room ... Hey!, Barry!, leave them bills alone.)
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To: Gen.Blather

donor quid pro quo palm greasing


19 posted on 07/28/2011 6:36:29 PM PDT by GailA (REFORM IS THE WORD, NOT just piddly phony cuts, and more taxes!)
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To: Eyes Unclouded
ships spend nearly 40 percent of their time under way with at least one major equipment or system failure,

And this is a change from the way things used to be exactly how?

20 posted on 07/28/2011 6:37:07 PM PDT by AndyJackson
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