Norfolk could lose aircraft carrier

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - From our Nation's Capitol to Norfolk, state and local elected officials said not so fast.

"In economic and strategic terms this makes no sense at all," said Virginia Senator Jim Webb.

"We're going to resist this effort with every means at our disposal," said Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim.

Monday, the Navy recommended homeporting one nuclear-powered aircraft carrier at Naval Station Mayport Florida. The USS John F. Kennedy, stationed at Mayport,was decommissioned in 2007.

The Florida delegation has been lobbying to get another one.

A Navy Spokesperson says the move would bolster national security.

"Homeporting a nuclear carrier at Naval Station Mayport reduces risks to fleet resources in the event of a national disaster, manmade calamity by a foreign nation or terrorist," said Lt. Sean Robertson.

Senator Jim Webb disagrees, especially since the Navy says it's in the hole $4.6-billion.

"The economics of moving an aircraft carrier to Mayport are off the charts in the hundreds of hundreds of millions of dollars," said Senator Webb.

In a live interview on WAVY News 10, Senator John Warner called this a political play.

"What really, as a former Secretary of the Navy, as is Jim Webb, irks me, more than irks me and brings this to the forefront, the fight on this thing is why try to make a decision of this magnitude in the last two or three days in an administration," said Senator Warner.

Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim agreed.

"Everyone knows that the former Governor of Florida is the brother of the sitting president," said Mayor Fraim.

If the move goes through, Norfolk stands to lose up to 5,000 jobs. A final decision is expected in late December.

The Navy says the earliest a carrier would be moved to Mayport is six years from now, in 2014.