ATLANTIC OCEAN (July 23, 2008) French F-2 Rafale M, E-2C Hawkeye and American F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft perform a fly-by over the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) during integrated French and American carrier qualifications and cyclic flight operations. The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is participating in Joint Task Force Exercise "Operation Brimstone" off the Atlantic coast. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Snyder/Released)Downsizing The Navy's Industrial Base -- William R. Hawkins, American Thinker
Northrop Grumman announced July 13 that it will close Avondale Shipbuilding in New Orleans and wants to sell its other two naval shipyards, Newport News in Virginia and Ingalls in Mississippi. The United States only has eight naval shipyards and Northrop's are the largest. Avondale builds amphibious warfare ships and this work is expected to move to Ingalls, which builds destroyers. Newport News is the only shipyard that can build aircraft carriers, and it also builds nuclear submarines. General Dynamics owns three shipyards: Electric Boat (submarines in Connecticut), Bath Iron Works (surface warships in Maine) and NASSSCO (logistical support ships in San Diego). The other two shipyards build the smaller Littoral Combat Ships and are foreign owned: Marinette Marine in Wisconsin (owned by Italy's Fincantieri) and Austral in Alabama (an Australian firm).
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My Comment: For everyone's info, my two favorite websites that cover the U.S. Navy are New Wars, and Information Dissemination .... both are must reads on issues on the U.S. Navy and its future.