The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is heading for home port in San Diego, while USS George H. W. Bush and USS George Washington remain on station in the North Arabian Gulf executing strikes and upholding the steel wall naval blockade. America’s aircraft carriers are more important than ever, and Lincoln and her crew of 5,000 will get a warm welcome.
But, back in Washington, D.C., stormy weather is brewing for the carrier fleet. And one rogue wave coming directly from the White House could imperil the Navy in a future fight against China.
First, a shout-out to Lincoln’s combat success in the Middle East, including taking out 200 Iranian drones threatening commercial shipping. And oh yes, the Iranians tried and failed to target the Lincoln. “Since we’ve gotten here, and during Operation Epic Fury, the Iranians were looking for opportunities to attack this ship,” Captain Daniel J. Keeler, commander of the Lincoln, told CNN in a hangar deck interview in July. “We’re very well-defended,” said. Iran’s shots “don’t get close.” In fact, an F-35C stealth fighter from Lincoln shot down one Iranian drone near the carrier back in February.
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Brilliantly as they’ve performed, it’s high time for some major upgrades to naval aviation to prepare the force to take on China’s navy. I’m not talking about chow menus or what’s in stock at the ships’ stores. Here are four important moves.
Drones. Carrier air wings need their own drones. First to arrive will be the MQ-25 Stingray refueling and reconnaissance drone. With wings that spread to 75 feet unfolded, the Stingray’s job is to deliver fuel from its orbiting post 1,000 miles away from the carrier, and to stay aloft for hours. Look for smaller wingman collaborative combat aircraft drones with extra weapons and electronic spectrum warfare effects to join the air wing in the future, too. The sky’s the limit for carrier-based drones on ships with adjustable catapults. Speaking of which…
New catapults. President Donald Trump understands the value of carriers, yet he’s worried for years about the new catapults — where magnets instead of steam shoot planes down the deck. So a White House National Security Presidential Memorandum on Aug. 13 tasked the Navy to present options for going back to steam catapults. Big mistake. This, after USS Gerald R. Ford has proven the new electromagnetic system with over 12,200 launches just from their most recent 326-day deployment. Combat data on the new “cats” looks good. Here’s something else you need to know: the magnetic catapults recharge faster than steam. Ford ran an all-out, multi-day surge exercise earlier this year, and the air wing was able to generate 25% more sorties with the new catapults, compared to the old steam type.
“I think there’s overwhelming support in Congress and in the Pentagon for moving forward with EMALS,” Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on Aug. 18. Ripping out combat-proven catapults and weapons elevators will slow shipyards and leave the U.S. Navy short of aircraft carriers to fight China. Also, there’s no going back. The aircraft carrier industrial base includes over 2,000 firms, many of them small businesses, across America. Switch the design of major systems, and you are looking at years of churn and delay.
By the way, France ordered the new system for their next aircraft carrier, and China’s already building their own electromagnetic system, which they probably stole from us.
Faster elevators. Not for the crew, they have up and down ladders. I’m talking about advanced weapons elevators. Made in Cincinnati, the new weapons elevators on Ford are rated for 24,000 lbs. instead of 12,000 lbs. for the old type, and they move 50% faster. Lower stage elevators move ordnance from the magazines in the aft and forward sections of the carrier while upper stage elevators lift the bombs and missiles up to the flight deck. All vital when the crew is rearming aircraft during combat operations. Once again, the White House is wavering, but consider that the Navy’s newest long-range weapons are big and heavy. The Malice air-to-air missile, unveiled just last month, weighs 1500 lbs. Best to stick with the advanced weapons elevators.
A stealthy new fighter jet. Long in the works, the Navy’s sixth-generation F/A-XX is ready to move ahead. Boeing and Northrop Grumman both have secret demonstrator planes. The new fighter-bomber is crucial to adding more range for carrier strike operations. Besides, the clock is ticking. Production of the mainstay Navy F/A-18EF Superhornet is shutting down, and China’s already flown two sixth-generation aircraft prototypes, including one for their navy. Congress instructed the Pentagon to pick a winner and get moving, so point your finger at the Department of War for the delay.
Aircraft carriers are unique because the President does not have to gain local-nation permission to launch strikes from their decks. They are also moveable bases for massive strike power. China has three aircraft carriers today and the Pentagon expects them to have nine by 2035 versus a U.S. fleet of 11. That’s a significant challenge. The Navy has the advanced technology to keep the edge. But holding up F/A-XX, going back to steam, taking out the fast elevators: all this risks a gaping hole in U.S. military power.
