[DoodleDawg]

If the US had decided to make one of these it would still be in the design phase.

The basic design for this ship started in 1997. This particular ship was laid down in 2010 and has just been commissioned. You don't think the U.S. doesn't do better than that?

[ThunderSleeps]

Well, consider the DDG-1000 Zumwalt. It started life as SC-21 (surface combatant, 21st century) in 1994. This came out of studies started in 1987. SC-21 morphed into DD-21, then DD(X), now DDG-1000. First construction began in 2011, and we've got what, one still in sea trials?

So yeah, this ship has literally been in the works for 29 years. For some people that could be an entire career.