“Two ships deemed ‘unfit’ for combat,” from the Navy Times:
Most of the missiles couldn’t be fired, and neither could any of the big guns. The Aegis radars key to the ships’ fighting abilities didn’t work right.
The flight decks were inoperable.
Most of the lifesaving gear failed inspection.
Corrosion was rampant, and lube oil leaked all over.
The verdict: “unfit for sustained combat operations.”
To those of us of a certain age–and this item was brought to my attention by my friend Clark Judge, who served with me in the Reagan speechwriting shop–this sounds unnervingly like something we’ve been through before. The Carter years, redux? Can this be?