The U.S. Navy has ordered another eight Virginia class SSNs

[JALU3]

What the heck was that Periscope? Who said I was rallying for the F-35C or the X-47? Before you go out and try to deride my statements first understand what I am trying to say!

What I am saying is that the CVWs, with their F/A-18E/Fs and F-35 primary build out as planned, compared to its old Cold War Build out of longer ranged aircraft including the F-14s, A-6s, and A-7s, had a superior strike radius, thus giving them a larger area of control, the ability to strike deeper into a target country independent of refueling if need be, and was able to keep the CVBG/CVSG further away from the potential threats that could be launched ashore.

What you have shown is you are a lobbyist for the Super Hornet, and believe it a superior naval aircraft over any other possible alternative, specifically the F-35. Great, good for you.

However, that doesn't solve the problem that, although the F/A-18E/Fs have replaced the KA-6Ds, it was my understanding, that the F/A-18E/Fs that had been loaded out for the tanker mission, did not carry the same (or greater) amount of fuel as the aircraft that they replaced, and had the same limitations of a shorter operational radius that is inherent to the F/A-18E/Fs in the first place remain.

Therefore, since both the F/A-18E/Fs and the planned F-35C have an inherently shorter operational raduis, then its predecessors, this reduces that capability of the CVW as a whole, and thus increases the threat to the CVBG/CVSG. Thus, if they could do it before, and have larger combat radii, then the should be able to engineer new aicraft with superior capability than the present and past aircraft, that can go equal distance to the longer legged cold-war era aircraft, or longer.