“thirty-year investments”
50 years active duty
Sorry, I hit a 3 where I should have hit a 5. Refit was at 30. Refueling is a major operation.Costing model of the latest carrier, the Gerald Ford, was based on a 50-year life cycle with a refit at around 30 years.
The point is that constructing these things commits the government to expenses throughout that cycle no matter what the actual disposition of the vessel turns out to be. A change in political administration during that time doesn't really help much except potentially on the back end when that administration is no longer in office. That's why we still have what we have despite the clear intentions of the 0bama administration.