Pentagon eyeing aircraft carrier reduction in budget request: report

The Defense Department is reportedly considering a reduction to its aircraft carrier force as part of the Pentagon’s budget request to Congress for fiscal 2022.

USNI News, citing two sources familiar with the discussions, reported Wednesday that in order to meet proposed defense budget caps, the Defense Department is weighing scaled-back spending on aircraft carriers.

While the Pentagon has not yet announced the budget topline, USNI News cited Politico’s and Bloomberg’s reporting that the Defense secretary’s office was working under the assumption that the Pentagon would be given a budget between $704 billion and $708 billion for the next fiscal year, which starts on Oct. 1.

The Trump administration’s fiscal 2022 budget called for $722 billion in defense spending.

One way the Pentagon could cut costs is by reconsidering a 2019 Trump administration proposal that called for the USS Harry S. Truman to be taken out of inventory, a legislative source told USNI News.

Another source familiar with the carrier review, however, told news outlet that the entire scope of the shipbuilding budget was under careful examination as well.

The Hill has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.