Saturday, December 17, 2016

The Ammo For The U.S. Navy Newest Destroyer Is Just Too Expensive

USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), steams through San Diego Bay on Dec. 8, 2016. US Navy Photo

David Axe, Daily Beast: $7 Billion New U.S. Warship Has a $2 Billion Ammo Problem

‘We don’t have an issue with the gun, and no issue with that ship carrying the gun… We have an issue on the price point.’

The U.S. Navy’s newest warship has an ammunition problem. One that could render the $7-billion ship obsolete just two months after she joined the fleet.

The destroyer USS Zumwalt, commissioned into Navy service on Oct. 15, boasts two high-tech, 155-millimeter-diameter cannons that the sailing branch designed to fire GPS-guided shells at targets as far as 80 miles away.

But in early November 2016, the Navy confirmed what observers of Zumwalt’s protracted development had long suspected: The so-called Long-Range Land-Attack Projectile, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is simply too expensive.

Read more ....

Update: The USS Zumwalt May Have Found Ammo It Can Actually Afford to Fire (Popular Mechanics).

WNU Editor: Some are still hoping that this ship will be saved by the incoming Trump administration ..... Navy's costly — and controversial — Zumwalt ship may get second look by Trump (CNBC).

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Why waste the $ on ammo. By the time those Zumwalts have all the bugs worked out those cannons will be replaced with rail-guns.

Unknown said...

You may have a very excellent point there.

Jac said...

This makes me speechless...Who is the manager of this project?