Navy: No need to add DDG 1000s after all

[unhappycamper]

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.

In earlier congressional and public discussions, the sticking point for the DDG 1000 had been its cost, which is now estimated to be $3.2 billion per copy. Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., chairman of the House Armed Service’s Seapower subcommittee earlier this year struck the third Zumwalt from the Navy’s budget request because he said ballooning costs for the advanced warships would bankrupt the Navy’s acquisitions budget.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/07/navy_hearing_073108w/


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.