Now I'm retired Navy, and like to see that (within reason) the guys are getting enough new ships and equipment as needed to be able to do their jobs - but even for me, this is just way over the top - even the Navy wanted to cancel the bloody thing because it cost so much.

Cutting-edge Navy warship being built in Maine - Yahoo! News

The sub force had a "Cadillac" of their own back in the 90's, the Seawolf class fast attacks, but the bloody things were so expensive that after the Soviet Union folded they only built 3 of them and switched to the more reasonable Viginia class.

Guess the reason this gold-plated skimmer is still being built is it's an election year, and various people need to get their "street cred" when it comes to defense.

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Mitchell Oates
Mooresville, NC
'87 300D 212K miles
'87 300D 151K miles - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD 67K miles
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I think it's badass. Why not? Everyone needs something to rally around and be proud off.

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One Mk 48 torpedo and you'd have a $7 billion artificial reef.

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Mitchell Oates
Mooresville, NC
'87 300D 212K miles
'87 300D 151K miles - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD 67K miles
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club

Right? I didn't see a ****ing thing about submarine defense in that article. A good sub crew could take that ****er out blindfolded.

Well as long as they work.

I just question very expensive weapons like this when what really wins wars are decent weapons in great numbers.

I rather have 12 ok ships than 3 really good ones.

They need to bring back the battleships, they had the armor protection to absorb hits that these ships just can't withstand. Slam an Exocet into the side of one of these and its going down, slam one into the Mississippi and she will probably do just fine.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I have asked the same question regarding a new heavy attack ship. Instead of antiquated cannons, just slap on hundreds of missile tubes and silos and you have yourself a one stop shop for coast offense.

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1987 560SEL (210,000 miles)

Mitch,

I read recently the Navy is cutting out (decommissioning) 4 Ticonderoga class criusers and a few other ships including the USS Rueben James.

11 ships to be decommissioned in fiscal 2013 - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Out with the old, in with the new.

Heads Up: Big cuts coming in DEF in fy13. Enlistments will be way down next year.

I hope they name another carrier Enterprise instead of after lame politicians no one likes.

The name Enterprise has earned a lot of battle colors.

__________________
2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Well, I'm not too surprised they'd be decomming some of the Ticos - they started building them in the late 70's/early 80's - the first batch still had the old twin rail missle launchers instead of the later VLS (vertical launch system). Even the newest ones are probably well past the 20 year mark by now. Also, from what I remember, they were basically nothing but a Spruance destroyer hull crammed full of equipment and were considered to be an overloaded design, and given a cruiser designation simply because of the crapload of missiles they could carry.

A good many of them were built before the lessons of the Falklands War could be digested - ie, where the British learned that aluminum ship plus burning solid rocket fuel equals a VERY bad idea - and that's why the Burke class destroyers went back to good old-fashioned steel for most of the ship.

__________________
Just say "NO" to Ethanol - Drive Diesel

Mitchell Oates
Mooresville, NC
'87 300D 212K miles
'87 300D 151K miles - R.I.P. 12/08
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD 67K miles
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club

Perfect.

It would probably be cheaper in the long run.

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Clk's Ebay Stuff BUY SOMETHING NOW!!!

The problem with the Seawolf was the cost of fabrication and major welding issues with the dissimilar metals used for the pressure hull.

My Welding Team Leader at AWS CWI was involved with the inspection of the fabrication welding and said it was way too complex for the technology available at the time. The rejection factor was insane.

The Brits also has similar issues with their version of the same design.

The cost of development of new ships is based on the failure of the Navy to lock in a design before production, instead they are going the "design-build" route.

Also the rapid changes in tech are dooming some designs before they get off the drawing board.

Well, they are going to be insanely expensive in small lots as the R&D costs for every stinking piece is amortized over 3 boats. Not only that, I doubt that there are any parts on these boats that are competitively procured.

I bought quite a few million bux worth of nuclear propulsion equipment for the 688 fast attack class (S6G) and Ohio class (S8G) subs 30 years ago and there was precious little competition even then. We just don't have than many firms capable of doing this stuff anymore.

This isn't something we can buy from the Chinese either, since they will be the enemy...

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"You know, I have one simple request...and that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads. Now evidently, my cycloptic colleague informs me that that can't be done. Ah, can you please remind me what I pay you people for? Honestly, throw me a bone here...what do we have?"

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It's a car not a science experiment! Open the throttle!

Gotta finish it

Sea Bass.
[pause] Right.
They're mutated sea bass.
Are they ill tempered?
Absolutely.
Oh well, that's a start.

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1982 300GD Carmine Red (DB3535) Cabriolet Parting Out
1990 300SEL Smoke Silver (Parting out)
1991 350SDL Blackberry Metallic (481)

"The thing is Bob, its not that I'm lazy...its that I just don't care."