The Navy’s FY2006 budget proposes retiring the conventionally powered

aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CV-67) in FY2006 and reducing the size of the

carrier force from 12 ships to 11. The Kennedy is homeported in Mayport, FL. The

proposal would not retire any other ships or any carrier air wings. Prior to this

proposal, the Navy’s plan was to maintain a 12-carrier force and keep the Kennedy

in operation until 2018. The issue for Congress is whether to approve, reject, or

modify the proposal to retire the Kennedy and reduce the carrier force to 11 ships

Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division

O'Rourke, Ronald

The Navy's FY2007 budget proposes retiring the conventionally-powered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CV-67) and reducing the size of the carrier force from 12 ships to 11. One potential issue for Congress is whether the carrier force should include 12 ships or some other number. If a carrier is to be retired in the near term so as to reduce the carrier force to 11 ships, a second potential issue is whether that carrier should be the Kennedy or another ship. Potential alternatives to the Kennedy include the conventionally-powered Kitty Hawk and the nuclear-powered carriers Enterprise and Vinson. A third potential issue for Congress concerns the relative military advantages of different homeporting arrangements for the carrier force

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