GAO finds Navy ship-to-shore communications lacking

[unhappycamper]

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/11/gao-finds-navy-shiptoshore-communications-lacking

GAO finds Navy ship-to-shore communications lacking
By Tony Capaccio, Bloomberg News
© November 20, 2013

WASHINGTON

The U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship lacks the robust communications systems needed to transmit critical data to support facilities ashore, according to an unreleased congressional audit, the latest in a succession of troubles for the $34 billion shipbuilding program.

The lightly manned vessel relies on ship-to-shore communications to help crews monitor the ship's condition, perform repairs and order medical supplies, the Government Accountability Office said in its latest review of the LCS. The audit found that the communications systems lack the necessary reliability, speed and bandwidth.

The communications deficiencies add to criticism of the vessel, which is intended to be small, speedy, and adaptable for patrolling shallow waters close to shore in areas such as the Persian Gulf and South China Sea.

The program to build a total of 52 ships in two versions made by Lockheed Martin and Austal has faced an expanding list of questions about their manning, mission, firepower, defenses and survivability even as projected construction costs have soared and the Pentagon faces automatic budget cuts of about $500 billion over a decade.



unhappycamper comment: $584 million dollars for the USS Freedom and it can't communicate with shore facilities?

Nice design.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. Freedom isn't free.

But, at some point. . .