NORFOLK, Va. — Critics of Rear Adm. Richard Petit suggest the admiral "might be compensating for something," after the officer has waged an extraordinary campaign for the Navy to commission the world’s largest warship.

"We need bigger warships if the American people expect us to stand firm against our adversaries." said Petit, the Commander of Carrier Strike Group 10, in a speech he made last week to the crew of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). "At the very least we must continue to demonstrate that our Navy is bigger than China's.”

Petit's critics and advocates of responsible defense spending are starting to wonder if there is a deeper issue here.

"As the old adage goes, 'when a politician’s wife cheats, the Navy upgrades their fleet,'" says Washington-based defense analyst Harry Martin. "But it’s not a joke when we see that type of rashness coming from within Navy leadership."