Quote:
Originally Posted by kraznyi_oktjabr
I think it depends on how you count. "Traditionally" U.S. Navy has counted auxiliaries (today USNS) separately from commissioned warships (today USS). That 430 vessel figure sounds ball park right if you include minesweepers, cargo ships, oilers and harbour tugs.
However couple of (or more) years ago when numbers were dropping low with FFGs d'comming and LCSes AWOL somebody in "five-sided-wind-tunnel" got bright idea of boosting fleet numbers by changing counting rules. After few pen strokes some "force multiplier" auxiliaries such as hospital ships (USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort) were counted equal with destroyers. 
Don't know if that rather creative way to increase fleet size is still used. |
Exactly what the british did in SDSR 2010 it also helped with the 2% problem for NATO
The navy of 20 years ago was less capable than the navy of today, units were more expendable they were cheaper and easier to produce take a look at the Spruance class and compare it with the Burke massive difference.
Also factor in the biggest cost to any armed force peoples wages, imagine paying the wages every month to a carrier crew of 5700 people, and then also paying the pensions of that lot when they retire and the new wages of new crew!
The navies of today require less ships due to the higher automation and sophistication however.
Take a long hard look at the Royal Navy if you place all the RN commitments around the world you have one serious issue we dont have the vessels to cover the job.
If you look at a ratio 1/3 are in over haul 1/3 in transit training or other duties or medium refits 1/3 on station what does that give the navy of 2020 ?
3/4 of a carrier 2 DDG's 4 1/3 FFG's and 2 1/3 SSN's and 3/4 of a landing ship
Hardly worth while is it when you think the Type 45's spend alot of time in port due to technical issues.
The RFA which is a civilian service is plugging the gap which is shameful they are now finding themselves fighting pirates in the gulf of Aden and drug runners in the Caribbean which is shameful.
To put it bluntly a navy can over stretch the RN has been at that point since 2010 and will remain so well into the 2020's and beyond.
Take a look at the next idea, 13 (we originally had 16) type 23's will be replaced by 8 type 26's and maybe followed by 5 smaller type 31's its a farce the real issue is we cannot continue our overseas commitments much longer we are also set in 2018 to loose HMS Ocean our only dedicated LPH to be replaced on station by RFA Argus.
Heres the other problem RFA Argus is not suited for a LPH role that was proved in 1995 and was the entire reasons HMS Ocean was built ! double standards
As for the USN they stress quality a 10 carrier strike group is more than enough to take down Russia and China together at sea the Russians dont have many DDG's infact if my memory serves it has just 17 major surface warships (non aircraft carriers) 2 kirovs (will be as of 2018) 3 slavas 7 udaloys and 5 sovremennys while the Chinese are pretty much photocopying theirs they already have the edge in terms of total numbers but whats the tech like would it stand up to a war im not so sure.
The USN is far healthier even at 250 ships than many other navies around the world take a look at Denmark in 2004 ceased all submarine operations, France a 2 carrier navy couldnt afford to build the second CDG carrier in this day and age its all down to two things.
Public opinion
Cost