Hey, Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth . . . I just found something you can cut in the Pentagon budget.

Photo above - World War 2 ends with Japan's surrender on a US battleship. The US is now bringing back a pair of 1940's era battleships to bolster our nation's defenses. Not a joke . . . for real.

Isn’t it enough that we have ELEVEN aircraft carrier groups? Each with an entourage of more than dozen support ships guarding the big enchilada? Carriers can't survive 5 minutes without submarines, guided missile cruisers, destroyers, frigates, and who knows what else.

Now a pair of 80 year old battleships are returning to duty. Commissioned in 1942-44, the Wisconsin and Iowa. Entered active duty before the end of World War 2. Before the invention of broadcast television and the hula hoop.

Generals (and admirals) always spend their careers preparing to re-fight the last war. Apparently we are getting ready for a repeat of World War 2. The Wisconsin and Iowa are equipped with 18 inch guns, the largest ever fitted to any ship. These behemoths can hit targets up to 24 miles away. Unless someone fires a cruise missile in their direction first - range 1,000 miles. Remember to watch out for torpedoes, too!

The Russians are using legacy "capital ships" against Ukraine. But a Russian heavy cruiser was destroyed almost immediately by a homebuilt Ukrainian drone. Apparently, Russia thinks it’s refighting World War 2 also.

Attention please, outgoing Biden administration (and incoming Trump administration). World War 3 has already begun. The weapons are hacking, infrastructure attacks, disabling GPS and cellular networks. Using cheap orbital payloads to kill military satellites which have no defense, and no way to shoot back. Puleeze . .. we don’t need two battleships, and the flotilla of support vehicles each will need.

The pentagon has 490 generals, and at least 62 admirals. The incoming Trump administration plans to “transform” America’s defense by forcing a bunch of them to retire. I humbly suggest that leaving the Iowa and Wisconsin in mothballs go to the top of the our spending cuts.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

Iowa and Wisconsin Battleships Return to Service: A Controversial Move Amid Evolving Naval Strategy

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trollslayer · 46-50, M

Agree 100% and have made this argument for 15 years…we spend way too much on military machines that likely will be mostly useless during the next war.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@trollslayer @trollslayer A single nuclear missle (launched from land, or a russian submarine) would incinerate a carrier or battleship group. without the risk of killing millions if civilians.

trollslayer · 46-50, M

@SusanInFlorida exactly. And considering what they can do with drones - aircraft carriers are mostly bravado these days. I can see a need for maybe 4, but not 11.

specman · 51-55, MVIP

@trollslayer you mean after the current wars that are using these war machines?

trollslayer · 46-50, M

@specman what current wars?

specman · 51-55, MVIP

@trollslayer those that are currently going on around the world. Ukraine and Israel etc

trollslayer · 46-50, M

@specman so you mean other countries’ wars?

specman · 51-55, MVIP

@trollslayer yes, you were saying that wars wouldn’t be fought with war machines.

trollslayer · 46-50, M

@specman the conversation was about the usa specifically. And my argument that we don’t need 11, maybe 4. And you argued we need all 11 because of current wars. I questioned whether any of those wars were USA wars… what am I missing? Are you saying we need 11 carriers because of other countries’ current wars? Especially considering the country with the next most is China with 3? How does china get by with 3 but we need 4 times that many?

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@trollslayer we never have 11 on station at any given time. currently 4 are on active duty at sea. 4 more are in drydock being repaired/maintained.. 3 more have left drydock, but are undergoing sea trials before returning to active duty.

the latest carrier - the keel was laid for the USS Gerald Ford in 2009. She was commissioned in 2022 - 13 years later. There are still ongoing problems with the aircraft catapult launch system, and "arrestor" cables that are used during landing.

trollslayer · 46-50, M

@SusanInFlorida good grief! Ridiculously wasteful.