Letters

Carry On?

Jerry Hendrix is not the first to disparage the Navy’s and the Congress’s decision to continue building and improving the large aircraft carrier. Critics have disparaged this decision all the way back to the Eisenhower administration, yet the construction and maintenance of large aircraft carriers in our fleet has withstood all attempts to end this vital defense program. I personally participated in several studies of the issue, and the answer was always the same. Nothing can replace aircraft carriers, with their combined high speed; unlimited endurance; simultaneous attack, strike, and self-defense capability all in one package; and service life of 50 years. It is all about mission effectiveness, and with no way to base the U.S. Air Force overseas, there is no other acceptable option. I note that Mr. Hendrix does not offer a viable alternative to the large carrier. No one has persuasively done so.