Quote:
Originally Posted by ikalugin
I would point out that USN is stretched thin as it is with it's current global comitments, cutting down ship numbers is not going to work.
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Having ships more adapted to these "commitments" (to which I personally fail to see the interests, as there aren't such things as guided missile destroyers flying the Jolly Roger in the 21st century) would be more sensible. The vast majority of missions where the USN deploys a DDG could be done entirely by a FFG. Arleigh Burke crew: 300+, FREMM (European MultiMission Frigate): 130.
And, hell, for many, many missions, even a FREMM would be overkill, so the USN could still do what the politicians want from it while saving a lot of bodies, if it switched from a full DDG/CG format to a mixed FFG/DDG/CG one. I mean, imagine if the USN tried to win the Pacific War by acquiring nothing but heavy cruisers, battleships and aircraft carriers.