The Navy's Multimission Carrier Airwing

Can the Mission Be Accomplished With Fewer Resources? Gao ID: 103996 November 16, 1977

By the early 1980's, the Navy will have changed over to a multimission carrier concept for 12 of its 13 authorized aircraft carriers. In the past, aircraft carriers were classified as being either attack carriers or antisubmarine carriers, and each type had its own respective airwing configuration which was specialized to meet the needs of that particular type of carrier.

With a general reduction in the size of the carrier fleet (now down to 13), the Navy has developed the multimission carrier concept to combine the attack and antisubmarine missions on each carrier so that each carrier will be flexible enough to meet any emergency. This will be expensive. The basic policy and cost-effectiveness consideration is how much flexibility, when all Navy assets are considered, is necessary to meet the potential threat. Each carrier does not need a self-sufficient airwing with sufficient flexibility aircraft to optimize deckloads for power projection. The following alternatives could collectively provide this flexibility: exchanging aircraft between operating carriers, using the aircraft of carriers undergoing extensive overhaul, using Marine Corps aircraft, using Navy and Marine reserve airwings in emergencies, establishing a pool of reserve aircraft serving the flexibility needs of all carriers, and using highly capable training resources in emergencies.

Recommendations

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