THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 2, 1996 TAG: 9610310014
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 37 lines
The arrival of the Wisconsin at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard caused me to rethink my arguments for the reactivation of our battleships. As one who has commanded both submarines and surface ships, I feel I am qualified to state my opinion. I believe I read in the Navy Times some of the figures I will include in this letter.
On Sept. 3 and 4 our ``battle-proven commander in chief'' decided to chastise Saddam Hussein by firing a total of 44 cruise missiles at his air defenses. Of these, 27 were fired the first day by a submarine, a flight of four B-52s and surface crafts. The remaining 17 missiles were fired by surface ships on the second day.
The four B-52s that took part in the first day's firing were based at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. From there they flew halfway around the world to Guam, where each plane took on an extra pilot and navigator, increasing the number of the plane crew to seven per plane or 28 Air Force personnel for this mission.
As I recall the Navy Times article, this mission from Guam to the mid-Persian Gulf and return took a total of 14 hours, required nine refueling operations and 19,000 miles of added circuitous flying.
The Navy has ``estimated'' it would cost $90 million to reactivate the Wisconsin, or one of her sister ships, and she would have an active life of 10 to 20 years. I would think that this amount is less than the cost of the chastisement. In less than nine months, this superb, battle-tested ship could be at sea, thus obliterating the possibility of pilots shot down, made political prisoners or killed. Not to mention what $90 million would mean to Norfolk and this area!
JAMES H. CAMPBELL
Capt., U.S. Navy, Ret.
Virginia Beach, Oct. 18, 1996 by CNB