Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
San Diego Union-Tribune
February 17, 2008 By Paul M. Krawzak, Copley News Service
SAN DIEGO – The Navy has scaled back plans to build an innovative but unexpectedly costly warship set to undergo testing in San Diego this year.
In the budget proposed this month, President Bush called for acquiring two Littoral Combat Ships instead of the six previously forecast.
Navy officials said they want to delay construction of more littoral ships so they have enough time to test the prototypes, the Freedom and the Independence.
They plan to examine the prototypes for design advantages, versatility and high-tech features. The information they gather will be incorporated into any future model of the ship.
Testing of the prototypes in San Diego could take several years, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. John Schofield, a spokesman for the littoral program.
The Navy says it is still committed to building 55 littoral ships overall. Littoral Combat Ships are meant to be small, fast and agile so they can operate in water as shallow as 20 feet.
Navy leaders said the vessels will fill a critical gap in the post-Cold War era. They said littorals will help the United States project power along the shorelines of countries such as Iran.
The program is being delayed for technical rather than financial reasons, said Rear Adm. Stanley Bozin, director of the Navy's budget office.
“We'll be able to operate the first two ships through the summer, and we'll obtain a lot more information as we go forward,” Bozin said this month during a Navy budget briefing at the Pentagon.
The program has drawn criticism from Congress after construction expenses almost doubled from the original price tag of $220 million per ship. Congress has set a cap of $460 million per vessel.
Last year, the Pentagon canceled contracts to build two more littoral ships because of cost overruns.
But the Navy still plans to take bids for a third littoral vessel late this year or early next year, as well as two more ships in 2009.
“What happened is that they tried to get the program going so fast that their rules for building the ships weren't really finalized before construction began,” said Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute, a pro-defense think tank in Arlington, Va.
“On top of that, the ships were being built in shipyards that had little experience with building complex surface combatants,” Thompson said.
Lockheed Martin is constructing the Freedom, and General Dynamics is building the Independence.
Congress has the ultimate say in how many Littoral Combat Ships will be bought and when.
If the Navy dramatically slows its littoral purchasing plan, it might be better to cancel production altogether and spend the money on other ships the Navy needs, said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.
“Let's see if the money might be more effectively spent on the LPD-17,” an amphibious transport ship used to deliver Marines, or the T-AKE, a cargo and ammunition carrier, Hunter said.
February 17, 2008 By Paul M. Krawzak, Copley News Service
SAN DIEGO – The Navy has scaled back plans to build an innovative but unexpectedly costly warship set to undergo testing in San Diego this year.
In the budget proposed this month, President Bush called for acquiring two Littoral Combat Ships instead of the six previously forecast.
Navy officials said they want to delay construction of more littoral ships so they have enough time to test the prototypes, the Freedom and the Independence.
They plan to examine the prototypes for design advantages, versatility and high-tech features. The information they gather will be incorporated into any future model of the ship.
Testing of the prototypes in San Diego could take several years, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. John Schofield, a spokesman for the littoral program.
The Navy says it is still committed to building 55 littoral ships overall. Littoral Combat Ships are meant to be small, fast and agile so they can operate in water as shallow as 20 feet.
Navy leaders said the vessels will fill a critical gap in the post-Cold War era. They said littorals will help the United States project power along the shorelines of countries such as Iran.
The program is being delayed for technical rather than financial reasons, said Rear Adm. Stanley Bozin, director of the Navy's budget office.
“We'll be able to operate the first two ships through the summer, and we'll obtain a lot more information as we go forward,” Bozin said this month during a Navy budget briefing at the Pentagon.
The program has drawn criticism from Congress after construction expenses almost doubled from the original price tag of $220 million per ship. Congress has set a cap of $460 million per vessel.
Last year, the Pentagon canceled contracts to build two more littoral ships because of cost overruns.
But the Navy still plans to take bids for a third littoral vessel late this year or early next year, as well as two more ships in 2009.
“What happened is that they tried to get the program going so fast that their rules for building the ships weren't really finalized before construction began,” said Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute, a pro-defense think tank in Arlington, Va.
“On top of that, the ships were being built in shipyards that had little experience with building complex surface combatants,” Thompson said.
Lockheed Martin is constructing the Freedom, and General Dynamics is building the Independence.
Congress has the ultimate say in how many Littoral Combat Ships will be bought and when.
If the Navy dramatically slows its littoral purchasing plan, it might be better to cancel production altogether and spend the money on other ships the Navy needs, said Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.
“Let's see if the money might be more effectively spent on the LPD-17,” an amphibious transport ship used to deliver Marines, or the T-AKE, a cargo and ammunition carrier, Hunter said.