Admiral: postponing ship repairs has a price.

• Author: Book, Elizabeth G.
• Position: Washington Pulse - Robert J. Natter - Brief Article

The Navy has "a huge backlog" of ships needing repair, said Adm. Robert J. Natter. A good example, he said, is the three-decade-old USS John F. Kennedy, the Navy's last non-nuclear aircraft carrier. The Kennedy's skipper was relieved in February, after the ship failed safety inspections.

"For eight years, we underfunded the maintenance of that ship," Natter said. "In our great wisdom, we figured that we could keep that ship and use it back...