Veterans

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts) Wed Jan 16, 2013, 12:28 PM Jan 2013

Navy’s $670 Million Fighting Ship Is ‘Not Expected to Be Survivable,’ Pentagon Says

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/01/littoral-combat-ship/

The USS Freedom, the Navy’s first Littoral Combat Ship, sails toward Cleveland for a port visit, 2008.

Navy’s $670 Million Fighting Ship Is ‘Not Expected to Be Survivable,’ Pentagon Says
By Spencer Ackerman
01.15.13

In less than two months, the Navy will send the first of its newest class of fighting ships on its first major deployment overseas. Problem is, according to the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester, the Navy will be deploying the USS Freedom before knowing if the so-called Littoral Combat Ship can survive, um, combat. And what the Navy does know about the ship isn’t encouraging: Among other problems, its guns don’t work right.

That’s the judgment of J. Michael Gilmore, the Defense Department’s director of operational test and evaluation, in an annual study sent to Congress on Friday and formally released Tuesday. Gilmore’s bottom line is that the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is still “not expected to be survivable” in combat. His office will punt on conducting a “Total Ship Survivability Test” for the first two LCSes to give the Navy time to complete a “pre-trial damage scenario analysis.” In other words, the Freedom will head on its first big mission abroad — maritime policing and counter-piracy around Singapore — without passing a crucial exam.

The systems the LCSs will carry, from their weapons to their sensors, compound the problem. The helicopters scheduled to be aboard the ship can’t tow its mine-hunting sensors, so the Navy is going to rely on robots instead — only the robots won’t be ready for years. And the faster the ship goes, the less accurate its guns become.

In fairness, the point of operational testing is to uncover and flag flaws in the military’s expensive weapons systems. And first-in-class ships often have kinks that are worked out in later vessels. Plus, it’s not like the Navy is rushing the Freedom to fight World War III. The local pirates there would never be confused for a serious navy. But the flaws Gilmore identifies go to the some of the core missions behind LCS’ existence: to fight close to shore, at high speeds; and to clear minefields.

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Navy’s $670 Million Fighting Ship Is ‘Not Expected to Be Survivable,’ Pentagon Says (Original Post) unhappycamper Jan 2013 OP

More private sector boondoggles. Bet the MIC doesn't lose a dime on this disaster. Scuba Jan 2013 #1

670 million to help people without health care would go a long way. Lint Head Jan 2013 #2

Jesus! pscot Jan 2013 #3

Tell me about it! Wonder how many cost overruns there were on that beauty? nt MADem Jan 2013 #5

Littoral Combat Ships were first defined in the US Navy's Bluewater program. unhappycamper Jan 2013 #6

Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia have navies gejohnston Jan 2013 #4

These things carry a robo-copter pscot Jan 2013 #7

Its the biggest... raidert05 Jan 2013 #8

Scuba

(53,475 posts)

1. More private sector boondoggles. Bet the MIC doesn't lose a dime on this disaster.

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Jan 16, 2013, 12:34 PM

Jan 2013

The taxpayers, on the other hand, will pay through the nose.

Lint Head

(15,064 posts)

2. 670 million to help people without health care would go a long way.

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Jan 16, 2013, 12:44 PM

Jan 2013

pscot

(21,024 posts)

3. Jesus!

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Wed Jan 16, 2013, 12:51 PM

Jan 2013

They can't even build a gunboat without fucking it up.

MADem

(135,425 posts)

5. Tell me about it! Wonder how many cost overruns there were on that beauty? nt

Reply to pscot (Reply #3)

Thu Jan 17, 2013, 08:39 AM

Jan 2013

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts)

6. Littoral Combat Ships were first defined in the US Navy's Bluewater program.

Reply to MADem (Reply #5)

Thu Jan 17, 2013, 09:23 AM

Jan 2013

I suspect the online presence the Navy's Bluewater program has gone down the memory hole, much the same as Project For a New American Century.

In the original Bluewater PDF document, Littoral Combat Ships were supposed to have costed around $200 million dollars each.

The USS Freedom (LCS#1) was delivered at $584 million dollars. The USS Independence was delivered next for $704 million dollars.

Congress stepped in and decided to order 15 or so of these target barges at $500 million dollars each.

These things have a pretty good five inch gun on the bow BUT accuracy is woefully poor when these ships get up to speed. Additionally the combat modules have yet to appear. And the 40 man crew is too small but there is no additional bunk space available because no combat modules have been deployed.

gejohnston

(17,502 posts)

4. Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia have navies

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Thu Jan 17, 2013, 03:05 AM

Jan 2013

and it's their neighborhood............. Yeah, I'm sounding like an isolationist here.
So, how much money is it going to cost to fix it? How not survivable are we talking? Do we get a refund from the contractors if the pirates manage to take it?

pscot

(21,024 posts)

7. These things carry a robo-copter

Reply to gejohnston (Reply #4)

Thu Jan 17, 2013, 12:22 PM

Jan 2013

that doesn't work, but not to worry. They're paying Lockheed $2.8 billion to develope a new, improved version. Projecting force in the South China Sea is probably necessary to maintain morale among China's neighbors. Just one of the burdens of Empire.

raidert05

(185 posts)

8. Its the biggest...

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Mon Jan 21, 2013, 12:01 AM

Jan 2013

waste of tax payer money I've set my eyes on when it came to Norfolk. You can make all the cool high-speed super sleek reduced radar cross section ships you want, all the enemy has to do is tweak his missile seeker, what is more cost effective?

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