Meet the Navy’s New $5 Billion Sitting Duck

Recently, the Navy surprised many by announcing that it was scrapping its multi-billion dollar construction program of the new Zumwalt class of stealth destroyers — after only two ships are built. After the first $5 billion ship was completed, the Navy canceled the program. It now appears that the most expensive surface vessel in the world may be defenseless against anti-ship weapons. If true, there are serious questions of representations made to Congress to produce the world’s biggest and most expensive target decoy.

In scrapping the programs was announced by the Navy, which insisted that it now wanted to buy hundreds of the older destroyer models that it previously said were unacceptable, click here. Now, it is being reported that the new stealth destroyer is “defenseless” against common anti-ship missiles.

Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (and Vice-Admiral) Barry McCullough, is quoted as saying that the DDG-1000 “cannot perform area air defense” at all.

Yet in 2005, the Navy claimed the ship would have a “3X survivability rate” against anti-ship missiles and other threats.

The question is how the Navy was able to continue to secure funding for such a system, only to scrap it. It is not only an indictment of the Bush Administration (which deserves the Lion’s share of blame) but on the oversight committees of Congress.

For the full story, click here.