"Dave Morris" wrote:

Navy pushing for addition of second aircraft carrier in Pacific
Hawaii favored as home base; Guam also considered

I'm in Hawaii, just got out of the Nav after 6 yrs when they wouldn't let me
stay here. They've been talking about this as long as I've been here (4.5
yrs). The biggest conflict I've heard is the fact that they sold Barber's
Point to the state, Ford Island is housing, and K-Bay can't handle a whole
carrier wing.

What is the point of having a carrier forward deployed without an airbase to
supply her planes?

Last I heard, but haven't kept up with it, the USN plans to
locate all of its F/A-18 squadrons on the right coast, so it
means that even for a left coast home-ported carrier, those
squadrons would have to fly to CA, aircraft, equipment and
people, for a CV/CVN deployment. Since you're planning on doing
that, going on to HI is a minor consideration. Few more hours in
the cockpit and probably another AR for the pilots, a few few
more hours in the C-141s for the ground crew, spare pilots, and
the gear. Aren't all Navy EA-6s on the left coast? So they're
already doing it for deployments for right coast CV/CVNs.

Breaks of Naval Air. They've always been sort of gypsies, now
they're going to be a little more gypsy-like. ;-

Do you know any more to this story? I know that it would mean approximately
30,000+ new people where ever she goes (families, support activities, etc.)

Well, AIUI the CVW makes up almost half the people on a carrier,
so you can reduce the load caused by their families, support
activities, etc. ;-
--
OJ III
[Email to Yahoo address may be burned before reading.
Lower and crunch the sig and you'll net me at comcast.]