US Navy Team Blue Angels chopped for 2013

[Angry Turnip]

As part of drastic spending cutsby the US government,the US Navy display team "The Blue Angels" have now also been chopped for the 2013 season,along with the USAF Thunderbirds team that got the chop last month.


More here:


http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/09/17672503-its-official-navy-grounds-blue-angels-for-2013?lite

[smudge]

As part of drastic spending cutsby the US government,the US Navy display team "The Blue Angels" have now also been chopped for the 2013 season,along with the USAF Thunderbirds team that got the chop last month.

My ( cynical ) US colleagues point-out that the sequester is only reducing defence funding by 8%. It is suspected that the DoD is cutting the most public aspects first, to put pressure on Congress.

Not that I blame them, but $40 million is less than the US Navy spends on submarine sonar training consoles in FY2013... just for an idea of scale!

[Angry Turnip]

The chopping of the display teams is just the tip of the iceberg,so to speak.

Red Flag excercises and similar,training sorties,and overseas deployments are also likely to be drastically chopped back,as are procurement of new aircraft and ships.
The cuts are going to apply to all US military be it USAF,US Navy,US Army and US Marine Corps.

More info can be found here


http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/02/06/military-services-sequestration-plan-panetta/1896401/

[Paultojo]

They have also stood down the two Lakenheath F-15E squadrons of the 48th Fighter Wing leaving only the F-15C active as they are about to deploy to somewhere sunny


Paul