Navy's are not going anywhere until the oceans are deserts. The purpose of the American Navy in peacetime is to insure the commercial sea lanes stay functioning properly that's a little hard to do from a plane. All the other jobs they do are secondary to the primary function of making sure the sea lanes are not disrupted. In Wartime that changes of course , the Navy has more planes than the Airforce btw. What sense would it make to not have a force on what is some 75 percent of the planet ?

The most important job the USN ever had was to close a commercial sea lane Cuba-USSR

They didn't close a sea lane from the ussr to cuba they made a naval blockade of cuba to icolate them. But I get your point

And, apart from breaking the British naval blockade during the Revolutionary War, they didn't do badly in WWII (from 1942 onwards). Navies are useful during conventional wars, but need to be re-thought for the type of function that can be anticipated for future conflicts.

Nuclear subs might be somewhat handy to have in an all out conflagration, methinks.

This underlines why navies are unlikely to disappear anytime soon, as China gets into the force projection game (albeit in slow time)....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-20484592

And, apart from breaking the British naval blockade during the Revolutionary War, they didn't do badly in WWII (from 1942 onwards). Navies are useful during conventional wars, but need to be re-thought for the type of function that can be anticipated for future conflicts.

Nuclear subs might be somewhat handy to have in an all out conflagration, methinks.

Is there likely to be 'an all-out conflagration'?

China has bought her way into Africa, controls Australia's economy through the raw materials she buys, has funded most of the loans to bankrupt Europe and has a massive credit balance with the US. She could bankrupt the world tomorrow, if she so chose. But she has not (yet). I cannot see any other outcome than that we shall all be vassal states of China within thirty years - without any war.

(Excepting only India - China will have to destroy India/Pakistan)

And, apart from breaking the British naval blockade during the Revolutionary War, they didn't do badly in WWII (from 1942 onwards). Navies are useful during conventional wars, but need to be re-thought for the type of function that can be anticipated for future conflicts.

Nuclear subs might be somewhat handy to have in an all out conflagration, methinks.

Is there likely to be 'an all-out conflagration'?

China has bought her way into Africa, controls Australia's economy through the raw materials she buys, has funded most of the loans to bankrupt Europe and has a massive credit balance with the US. She could bankrupt the world tomorrow, if she so chose. But she has not (yet). I cannot see any other outcome than that we shall all be vassal states of China within thirty years - without any war.

(Excepting only India - China will have to destroy India/Pakistan)

The Idea that China could bankrupt the world by cashing in loans is not true , you can't demand payment before the loan payments are due all you can do is offer it on the open market. I never quite understand why people think it's the creditor who gains some great advantage in loaning money to bankrupt entities ...... their is an old expression if you owe someone a million they own you if you owe someone a billion you own them.

Suez crisis

Financial pressure

Eisenhower in fact ordered his Secretary of the Treasury, George M. Humphrey, to prepare to sell part of the US Government's Sterling Bond holdings.

...

Britain's foreign exchange reserves simply could not sustain the devaluation of the pound that would come after the United States' actions; and that within weeks of such a move, the country would be unable to import the food and energy supplies needed to sustain the population on the islands.