by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
Jacksonville’s national lawmakers were successful in their fight to keep the USS John F. Kennedy out of mothballs. But the Department of Defense will likely have to approve a $300 million repair bill to keep the Mayport-based carrier on active duty.
The City’s Director of Military Affairs, Dan McCarthy, calls the effort to secure repair money “one of our biggest military affairs issues in 2006.” The DOD’s willingness to repair the carrier is seen as an indication of its commitment to keeping the Kennedy as a viable member of its carrier fleet.
“We need to keep a close watch on it,” said McCarthy. “The Kennedy needs to be fixed. It was due for an overhaul in 2006 and it obviously needs work.”
About $288 million worth of work. That money was set aside to overhaul the Kennedy before the DOD announced late in 2004 its intent to decommission the carrier. The carrier’s age and cost of maintenance were key reasons the DOD wanted to decommission the aircraft carrier.
Now the repair money may have been spent elsewhere. The Navy says it’s still there, but City lobbyists can’t identify a funding source. A congressional appropriations committee report also does not mention JFK repair costs, according to an e-mail sent by McCarthy to the mayor’s staff.
The Navy’s intent will become more clear when the DOD releases its Quadrennial Defense Report, which McCarthy expects Feb. 6. The QDR lays out the country’s military needs and strategies to meet those needs.
“It’s the Pentagon’s view of how our defense forces should be aligned to meet tomorrow’s threats,” said McCarthy. “Congress has determined that the country needs 12 carriers in active status. If the QDR recommends less, then you’ll see a dialogue on what’s right.”
The City also hopes that the Pentagon will start working toward a nuclear carrier-compatible Mayport Naval Station. Currently, it’s only outfitted for diesel carriers, a dying breed in the Navy fleet.
The City has estimated that it will cost about $140 million to upgrade Mayport, but McCarthy said the Pentagon will likely want to do its own estimate.
That study will cost money as will Mayport’s eventual renovation. The mayor’s office would prefer to begin the process sooner rather than later. Making Mayport nuclear-accessible is expected to take at least three years.
McCarthy doesn’t think the City’s lobbying for a nuclear-capable Mayport will hurt its case for the JFK repair money. A spokesman for Rep. Cliff Stearns said he thought the Mayport money would take priority. The City will push for both through its lobbyists and contact with legislators, said McCarthy.
“We have the Kennedy now, and the law says to keep it,” he said. “Mayor (John) Peyton will stand behind and support the Kennedy. But at the same time, we realize that Mayport’s future is to be CVN (the Navy’s designation for nuclear carriers) capable, and we will push along those lines as well.”