Navy Secretary Quits With Blast at Carlucci Cutbacks. : Raps Delay of 600-Ship Fleet by ’89

WASHINGTON — Navy Secretary James H. Webb resigned today with a blast at Defense Secretary Frank C. Carlucci’s budget-cutting decision to postpone plans for a 600-ship American Navy by the end of 1989.

“I am unable to support him (Carlucci) personally, or to defend this amended budget during budget deliberations” with Congress, Webb told President Reagan in a letter of resignation dated today.

Webb, 42, called reporters to his Pentagon office to release a copy of the letter and to sharply attack Carlucci’s decision to ask Congress to retire 16 Navy frigates as part of a $32.5-billion cut in the fiscal 1989 Pentagon budget.

Webb, a best-selling novelist, former Marine officer and Vietnam veteran, became Navy secretary last April.

Navy Leaders Ignored

Today, he accused Carlucci of not listening to the Navy’s civilian and military leaders in proposing the overall $299.5-billion Pentagon budget for the fiscal year beginning next Oct. 1.

There was no public comment from the White House on the matter, but officials said Webb’s resignation would be accepted with regret.

“We are sorry to see Secretary Webb has decided to leave, but the President supports Carlucci in his decisions on the budget,” said one official who asked not to be identified.

“There are hard choices to be made in the budget process and Frank Carlucci is doing the job very well,” he said.

Successor Not Named

Carlucci released a terse, two-paragraph statement at the Pentagon regretting Webb’s resignation and adding that “I will propose to the President an exceptionally qualified individual to serve as successor to Mr. Webb.” He did not say who the successor would be.

“Under the circumstances, he (Webb) has done the honorable thing,” said one Pentagon official, who asked not to be identified.

Administration officials have said the State Department was angered by a recent Webb speech in which he urged the United States to re-examine its commitments around the world and give more military support to its Asian allies.

Reagan Sought Increase

President Reagan has pushed hard for a 600-ship Navy by the end of fiscal 1989, which begins next Oct. 1.

But Carlucci told reporters last week his proposal to retire 16 frigates from service in 1989 along with other Navy cuts would leave the United States with only about 580 warships at the end of the year.

The Navy would be forced to take $12 billion in cuts under the $299.5-billion 1989 Pentagon budget which Carlucci sent to Congress last week.

“Carlucci never sat down and met with us (Navy officials). . . . As secretary of the Navy it would be wrong to go up to Capitol Hill and support something I don’t believe in,” Webb told reporters today.

Webb said he plans to return to writing. Among his successful novels is the best-selling “Fields of Fire” about the Vietnam War.