Manual

ABOUT THE F-14 TOMCATHISTORICAL BACKGROUNDTHE AIRCRAFT CARRIER ANDCHANGING NAVAL DOCTRINEFollowing the successful conclusion ofWorld War II, the United States was soldon the concept of naval aviation. Theisland-hopping campaign in the Pacificagainst Japan would have beenimpossible without it. World War IIchanged naval strategy forever, not just inthe US but throughout the world. Airpower (and the aircraft carrier) hadreplaced the big guns of the battleship.No longer would opposing fleets simplyline up in parallel columns and hammeraway at each other.Starting with Coral Sea in 1942, navalbattles could begin when the two sideswere still hundreds of miles apart. Aircraftcarriers lent mobility to air power, freeingit from the restrictions imposed bystationary land bases. Taranto and PearlHarbour demonstrated the effectivenessof the surprise carrier strike.A fleet could run from battle but it couldn’thide. Ships could now be tracked down anddestroyed in their own bases. The aircraftcarrier, on the other hand, proved itsresiliency by withstanding wave after waveof Japanese pilots intent of committingsuicide. The legendary Kamikaze (“DivineWind” in Japanese) proved to be theultimate challenge.Clearly, naval strategy in future wars wasgoing to be dictated by the developmentof naval aviation, at least as far as theUnited States was concerned. The Navyhad over a hundred aircraft carriers leftover at the end of World War II and avested interest in promoting both theeffectiveness and survivability of itscarrier groups. With the war now over, theNavy had to start thinking about winningthe peace. The next battles would befought in the halls of Congress and onCapitol Hill over which branch of servicewould receive the most defense dollars.Constructing and maintaining even adozen modern aircraft carriers was goingto cost plenty. The start-up cost alonewould be enormous and that was just thebeginning. By the time fuel costs, trainingand personnel costs were factored in asingle carrier would ultimately requirebillions in defense outlays. Of course onemust not forget to add in the air wingconsisting of eighty to ninety aircraft andthe cost of training a new generation ofnaval aviators every twenty years or so.Big carriers meant the Navy Departmentcould ask for big money from Congressand get it. This is not to suggest that theNavy pursued carrier development out ofa desire to increase their share of thenation’s defense budget. Let’s just saythat things have a way of perpetuatingthemselves and that big budgets addedto the Navy’s prestige when dealing withthe other services.The Soviet Union, on the other hand,lacked the United States’ industrialresources and practical experience incarrier warfare. What it did not lack was acommitment to become the pre-eminentmilitary power on the planet. When WW IIended, the Soviets found themselves inpossession of eastern Europe. Holdingonto this expanse of territory wouldrequire land armies and their componentair support.For many years the Soviet Union had noreal need to project its naval strengthoutside of Europe. Air and naval powerwas used to complement a Europeanground war only. So while the Army andAir force had lavish resources heapedupon them, the Soviet navy consisted ofa few coastal patrol craft and surplusdestroyers obtained from the US duringthe war.