Posted on 05/17/2016 1:14:06 PM PDT by Syncopated
From its inception, the Littoral Combat Ship, or LCS, has been one of the Navy’s most controversial procurement programs. Questions have been continuously raised about its costs, survivability, lethality, and range limitations.
(Excerpt) Read more at defenseone.com ...
“The second major mistake was assuming that a ship could not only be a minesweeper, but also have anti-submarine warfare, surface combat, and amphibious capabilities.”
Meaning the LCS was supposed to be the naval version of the F-35: a jack of all trades and a master of none.
Watch or read, The Pentagon Wars. Happened to the Bradley Fighting Vehicle too. Cost a fortune to fix...but now we’re left with one of the best multirole vehicles in the world.
In Defense Acquisition there are no “lessons” as long as congress drives the design and subcontractor participation.
As long as the requirements remain undetermined at the time of contract award.
As long as approved programs become a Christmas tree on which to hang benefits for an endless list of congressional districts.
At the front end of a program the budget and the schedule are constrained by politics.
Once the program is approved the budget and schedule are blown up by politics.
Ike tried to warn us.
Not a fair description of either platform. Both are absolute masters of ass-raping the taxpayer.
Okay, that too!!
Don’t invest in weapons systems programs that are favors for political donors!!
Col. Robert Laurel Smith: In summation, what you have before you is...
Sgt. Fanning: A troop transport that can’t carry troops, a reconnaissance vehicle that’s too conspicuous to do reconnaissance...
Lt. Colonel James Burton: And a quasi-tank that has less armor than a snow-blower, but carries enough ammo to take out half of D.C. THIS is what we’re building?
It is a wonderful vessel and performs well except the active combat part. These things will go down quickly.
Missile technology has so quickly surpassed platforms that the LCS in combat will become a flaming datum in minutes. So will the CVN.
A rotten flop at sea, but a nice jobs program for Manitowoc, WI shipbuilders and another builder down on the Gulf.
The LCS had to abandon hard learned USN damage control standards. It is outgunned by a tank sitting on the beach. it is dog meat for any surface opponent. It is child’s play for a sub. And its supposedly ‘littoral’, but has no better shallow water performance than a WWII destroyer.
It, like the F-35, is designed to enrich contractors and officers careers. The weakest warship we have ever floated. A PT boat literally had more firepower.
Whatta bout the Navy F-35?
It’s a yacht garage...
It’s main adversary will cheap swarming fast boats.
Now if we could only build some sort of contraption that can float, fly, and drive we could save BILLIONS I tell you!
Supercar!
Some of the best actors ever.
Give it orbital capability an now we’d be talking!
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