The US Navy in version 2.2

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by swaghauler

In truth, I don't think we need it. Look at current events today. We are in conflicts in Syria, Nijer, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Iraq, Yemen, South Korea, and are now working on a conflict with Iran. The "axis powers" of WWIII are fast aligning as I type this.
1. Russia
2. Assad's Syria
3. Lebanon
4. Iran
5. Iranian-backed Yemen
6. North Korea
7. China

The "Non-Aligned Combatants" are also a concern because they will sap us of "resources" in a major conflict. Those include:
1. Issis (both in Syria and in Libya)
2. Boko Haram (in Libya, Algeria, Nijer, Nigeria, Mali, and the Congo)
3. Al Queda (in Yemen, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Kenya, and Uganda).
4. Hamas (Iranian aligned but not a properly "organized" opponent).
5. We may even find Turkey on this list if we support the Kurds.

Add to all of those the fact that the Obama Era "Sequester Cuts" reduced military spending by 20% after we made MAJOR expenditures of VERY EXPENSIVE ordinance and logged THOUSANDS OF HOURS on very expensive airframes, and we are already halfway down the road to a new version of Twilight 2025(?) IN THE REAL WORLD. This bothers me greatly.

To add to the issue, we are currently "understrength" in personnel AND our newest equipment (the LCS class ships, the Gerald R Ford) are having "teething pains" and our allies are spending much less of their GDP on defense and you have a potential "Perfect Storm" that the US and Britain may not be able to stop if the rest of NATO (in WESTERN EUROPE) doesn't step up to help (the EASTERN EUROPEAN NATO partners have shown they will do what they can).

I see the storm coming but I don't know how WE (the US) can stop it before a war breaks out. Pacification hasn't worked (or Russia and N. Korea would be in check now). And yes, I'm worried about 6 to 10 years from now.

Yep, current events prompted my question. The shoddy and overstretched western armies give the crew you named at least think they have a chance.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by .45cultist

Yep, current events prompted my question. The shoddy and overstretched western armies give the crew you named at least think they have a chance.

And this doesn't even take into account that "President Clinton" also allowed the expiration of the requirement for key industries such as Steel Mills, and Tool & Die Shops to maintain their "surplus production." For those who don't know, after WWII, the US government set up a standard for key industries to maintain a "minimum surplus of manufacturing capacity." This number was initially 40% but was reduced as manufacturing became more efficient. When "President Clinton" took office, it was 20% of maximum capacity (so if you could make 100 "widgets" a day, you had to be able to make 120 with your "idled" capacity). He reduced this to zero and many idled blast furnaces and tool production IMMEDIATELY went to India and China. China also controls most of our strategic mining now. This was all done from the late 90's until right now (today). This means that if we can only make 100 Harpoons a month, that's ALL we are going get until we build another factory. Most US industry today has embraced the concept of "Lean Manufacturing" to reduce costs. This involves using a "skeleton crew" of workers to make things. As a consequence, most shops run at 95%+ output now. This means there can be no "great burst" of manufacturing to increase output for the short-term. We will DEFINITELY be fighting a "come as you are war" when it happens.