by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
Some key supporters in Congress are jumping ship on legislation that would keep the USS John F. Kennedy afloat.
Most significantly, the Mayport-based aircraft carrier has lost the support of Sen. John Warner, former secretary of the Navy, and chairman of the Senate’s Armed Services Committee.
Warner helped preserve the JFK in April 2005 by backing legislation requiring the Navy to keep a 12-carrier fleet. But Warner now wants the JFK decommissioned to save money. He urged the Senate April 27 to mothball the carrier, a move that goes along with the Navy’s plans. The Pentagon wants to get rid of the diesel-driven JFK as a move toward an entirely nuclear-powered fleet.
Warner was unsuccessful in his attempt to overturn the 12-carrier mandate. But U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw expects him to try again.
“He tried to get that through as an amendment to a must-pass bill, but the Senate passed the bill without the amendment,” said Crenshaw. “It wouldn’t surprise me to see him offer the same amendment to other legislation down the line.”
Warner told the Senate that keeping the JFK would be too expensive. The $1.2 billion needed to repair and operate the ship over the next six years should instead be spent on modernizing the Navy’s fleet, he said according to the congressional record.
“I... strongly endorse the Navy’s vision for a larger, modernized fleet, sized and shaped to remain the world’s dominant sea power through the 21st century,” said Warner. “To achieve this expansion while managing limited resources, it is necessary to retire the aging conventional carriers that have served this country for so long.”
Warner went on to single out the JFK.
“The compelling reality is that today the 38-year-old USS John F. Kennedy is not qualified to perform her primary mission... and she is not deployable without a significant investment of resources,” he said.
Warner also called for a quick decision on the JFK. Each day of delay costs the Navy $20 million, he said.
Following Warner’s comments, Sen. Edward Kennedy took the floor to bid bon voyage to the ship named after his late brother, according to the record.
“It is bittersweet to know she will be retired,” he said. “But the people of Massachusetts and the Kennedy family are very proud of her service.”
Warner said his change of heart stemmed from reading a Pentagon study, which favored modernization over preservation. But Crenshaw said national security decisions shouldn’t be based on budget numbers.
Deploying carriers is the easiest way for the Navy to project its presence globally, said Crenshaw.
“It’s still a dangerous world with threats growing in the Pacific and elsewhere,” said Crenshaw. “To respond to these threats, one of our great symbols of strength is the aircraft carrier.”
The next challenge for the JFK will be securing funding for repairs to its flight deck. More than $400 million has been set aside for a trip to dry dock, but Crenshaw anticipates a fight in trying to pry that money away from the Pentagon, which wants to spend it elsewhere.