Strike Group Reagan Fact File: RETALIATION-class Aviation Strike Cruisers

[clancyphile]

In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, President George W. Bush was convinced to go along with a massive expansion of the United States military. One project that was authorized was an updated version of the CSGN Mk II. Some questioned its utility, but In the wake of the Tunisian Evacuation Crisis and the Guyana War, including the Hall-Parker spy scandal, the Retaliation-class was pushed through.

Military analyst R.A. Daniels described it as "a nuclear-powered Kiev with Aegis," but the description undersold the ship's capability. While the Kiev-class could only operate V/STOL aircraft, specifically, the Yak-38 Forger, the Retaliation-class carried two catapults and operated F-35Cs and F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. Initial plans to operate a squadron each of F-26 Sea Scorpions and F/A-45 Goshawks (a T-45 with the avionics and wings of the Hawk 200) were set aside for a single squadron of F/A-18Fs.

The vessels saw action during Operation AVENGING FIRE, the Third Barbary War, the Belarus/Baltics Crisis, The Euro-American War, The Burma War, the Sino-American War, and the Second Mexican-American War. All remain in service, and are nearing the due date for refueling and complex overhauls. There are some who propose retiring the ships in favor of medium carriers, but most analysts believe the vessels will be retained in service, particularly after USS Macedonian received the Presidential Unit Citation after the Battle of the Batanes Islands in the Sino-American War.

Displacement: 39,500 tons
Armament: 2 Mk45 5"/62 (F/A) 4 Mk75 76mm/62 (PW/SW/PA/SA); 2 Mk41 64-cell VLS; 2 Mk 31 (F/A); 4 Mk15 CIWS (PW/SW/PQ/SQ); 1 Mk 41 32-cell VLS/ESSM; 4 Mk 141 (2P/2S)
Radars: SPY-1D, SPY-3, 4 SPG-62
Sonars: SQS-53C, SQR-19

Ship list and Air Wings:
VSCW-1 - USS Retaliation (CSGVN 1)
VSFA-1 (12 F-35C, 8 F/A-18E)
VFA-16 (16 F/A-18F)
HCS-20 (12 MH-60R, 6 MH-60S, 6 SV-22)

VSCW-2 - USS Experiment (CSGVN 2)
VSFA-2 (12 F-35C, 8 F/A-18E)
VFA-85 (16 F/A-18E/F)
HCS-21 (12 MH-60R, 6 MH-60S, 6 SV-22)

VSCW-3 - USS Congress (CSGVN 3)
VSFA-3 (12 F-35C, 8 F/A-18E)
VFA-104 (16 F/A-18F)
HCS-22 (12 MH-60R, 6 MH-60S, 6 SV-22)

VSCW-4 - USS President (CSGVN 4)
VSFA-4 (12 F-35C, 8 F/A-18E)
VFA-106 (16 F/A-18F)
HCS-23 (12 MH-60R, 6 MH-60S, 6 SV-22)

VSCW-5 USS Montezuma (CSGVN 5)
VSFA-5 (12 F-35C, 8 F/A-18E)
VFA-116 (16 F/A-18F)
HCS-24 (12 MH-60R, 6 MH-60S, 6 MV-22)

VSCW-6 USS Alliance (CSGVN 6)

VSFA-6 (12 F-35C, 8 F/A-18E)
VFA-144 (16 F/A-18F)
HCS-25 (12 MH-60R, 6 MH-60S, 6 SV-22)

VSCW-7 USS Macedonian (CSGVN 7)
VSFA-7 (12 F-35C, 8 F/A-18E)
VFA-38 (16 F/A-18F)
HCS-26 (12 MH-60R, 6 MH-60S, 6 SV-22)

VSCW-8 USS Guerriere (CSGVN 8)
VSFA-8 (12 F-35C, 8 F/A-18E)
VFA-215 (16 F/A-18F)
HCS-27 (12 MH-60R, 6 MH-60S, 6 SV-22)

[Simon Darkshade]

You're making the mistake of trying to cram too much into too little:

- Too much detail of world building into a technical ship design post
- Too many missions into one hull
- Too many weapons systems and aircraft into one ship

I'm not sure what positive feedback you expect from this combination, but not a lot can come.

On the critical side:
- You are cramming more aircraft than a Nimitz carries operationally at the moment into a hull twice as large. Seriously, 36 strike fighters and 24 assorted helicopters and Ospreys isn't realistic
- You are sticking guns and missiles on like there is no tomorrow
- The cost of each ship would be upwards of 6 billion before aircraft and missiles, yet it doesn't bring any truly unique capabilities into play
- The class name, although with a brief precedent in 1778 and 1798, is just cringeworthy
- The original raison d'etre makes no sense. 2001 didn't expose a need for hybrid cruiser-carriers or even an inordinate need for new ships, but rather a number of other capabilities. It is like the British using the Second Boer War as a trigger for building a dozen new semi-dreadnoughts

Based on the last few bits and pieces you've put up here, including the hugely bloated USMC Philippines defence garrison, a pattern emerges of trying to cram far too much into missions, ships and situations than what is necessary.