John McCain actually said...

General Dempsey expressed his appreciation for the role of sea power in our national defense strategy and the Navy's enduring role in protec...

I have never viewed an aircraft carrier as a method to employ a defensive strategy.

Does DOD have a 'Plan B' if the costs of the F-35 cannot be significantly reduced?

The surge force allowed us to reverse Taliban momentum, and to that end we have been largely successful.