At the Surface Navy Association, VADM Copeman was the guest speaker. Friend of mine was in attendance, and somber does NOT describe the crowd’s response, but most will admit privately what he’s saying is true…
From AOL Defense-
Navy crews don’t have enough sailors, training, or spare parts to keep up with operational demands, the Commander of Naval Surface Forces said bluntly this afternoon. The service needs to make better use of smaller budgets by standardizing equipment and adopting new training simulations, Vice Adm. Tom Copeman said, but even that’s not enough: Ultimately, he said, the Navy must get smaller to stay ready.
That approach doesn’t play well on Capitol Hill, which is so focused on the keeping up the size of the fleet that last year it refused to let the Navy retire three aging Ticonderoga-class cruisers which admirals said cost more they were worth to keep maintained.
[Click here for more from a Navy 4-star on readiness problems and how the fleet is “terrified” of the damage sequestration could do]
Even as the Navy’s tempo of operations has increased — largely in response to a new assertiveness at sea by both China and Iran — “we’ve taken away people and training,” Copeman said. “It’s getting harder and harder to look the troops in the eye and say, just meet the standard…. We’re getting more ships that can’t.”
Full article HERE, with good links embedded…
In other news, I got an email from a friend this afternoon, apparently the Navy is freezing all hiring, cancelling conferences and limiting travel to ‘critical’ requirements…
