Navy: No need to add DDG 1000s after all

[unhappycamper]

Source: Navy Times

Navy: No need to add DDG 1000s after all
By Philip Ewing - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jul 31, 2008 18:35:52 EDT

Top Navy acquisition officials dramatically reversed course during a congressional hearing Thursday, saying the service needed to purchase more Arleigh Burke-class DDG 51 destroyers, and no longer needs the next-generation destroyer it has been pushing for over the past 13 years.

This, after years of vigorously claiming the service needed to move beyond the 1980s technology in the Burkes and leap ahead with the new ship, the DDG 1000 Zumwalt class. Now, they’re saying the Zumwalts just won’t cut it, citing the planned ship’s inability to fire advanced versions of the Standard Missile, contradicting previous industry claims.

They also said there was a new “classified threat” for which the Burkes are better suited, but would not go into specifics. Speaking for the Navy were Vice Adm. Barry McCullough, deputy chief of naval operations for integration of resources and capabilities; and Allison Stiller, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for ship programs.

“Now, we’re turning on a dime,” mused Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., a former Navy vice admiral, after hearing their testimony.

Read more: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/07/navy_hearing_073108w/

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uhc comment: It appears (finally) someone got their heads out of their ass.



This $5,300,000,000 pig in a poke joke has finally reached the end of the line.


Development costs: $10,000,000,000
Cost of destroyer: $5,300,000,000

So I guess you say each 378 ft. destroyer costs $10,000,000,000. In comparison, a Nimitz aircraft carrier costs around $4,500,000,000 a pop and a Virginia class submarine costs around $2,300,000,000 a pop.

[sofa king]

1. I bet I know what that "classified threat" is.

Economic depression. They can afford to build a toy they've already perfected and improved. Developing a new, outrageously expensive one ain't gonna happen when the money dries up.

[comtec]

2. Ironically if they are built in the US , it would help the economy

because of the doc jobs to make the ships, and the various in-country manufacturing of bits for the ship!

sadly they probably wanted to outsource the whole thing to china.

[sofa king]

3. We can still build the Arlieghs here, too.

Wait a minute. We can, can't we?

I'm serious about my first post, though. I think the DoD knows how deep the Bush cessspool is and is voluntarily trying to cut its losses before anyone figures it out.

[melm00se]

4. the arleigh burke class

is a mainly an anti-air platform designed to protect carrier task forces so if i were to hazard a guess on the "classified threat" it would that the navy is speculating that either China or India will be developing an anti-surface warfare air force. The smart money is on China, as they get richer, the likelihood of taking back Taiwan will increase and if they invade and the US has had a long standing promise to defend Taiwan.

[Texano78704]

5. Maybe worried about getting a "Sunburn?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunburn_missile

[Javaman]

6. Who made the money on this yacht to no where? that is the question. nt