Re: DD(X) Costs


"Henry J Cobb" <hcobb@xxxxxx> wrote
Paul F Austin wrote:
The bottom line is that a NGFS ship isn't worth multi-billion dollar
price
tag. There's a need for NGFS but not at that cost. DD-21 started out as
a
fairly austere design but since it was the only hull in town, every
subsystem developer used it to "justify" his budget by getting on board.
Unless the USN strips out the systems that drive the recurring costs
above a
gigabuck, there aren't going to be more than a couple of DD(X)s built.
NGFS
ships compete for budget with too many other systems that can do the
support
mission _and_ many other things as well. Things like CVNs and Air Wings.
Things like heavy bombers.

Things like the LAM. Which offers faster response to calls for fire,
once the missiles are circling overhead. (And is V-22 portable for
infinite range ashore.)

So does TACTOM and it's already in production. So do F-18s with SDBs. Or B2s
with SDBs. There are lots of alternatives for operational fires. A T-Hawk
farm comes a lot cheaper than DD-1000. Can we say <arsenal ship>? How about
a barge carried in the wet well of an LSD or LHD or LASH with a diesel
generator and data links?

I have to say that the management of DD(X) proves that the USN doesn't
love
the NGFS mission. If they did, they would have managed to the mission
more
carefully. As it is, DD(X) was used as a mule to carry the development
of
all the systems that go in the ships the Navy really loves.

As long as the AGS can't match the 200nm assault range of the V-22, it
can't support the Ship-To-Objective Maneuver Plan.

Why bother bombarding shore installations that aren't part of the mission?

Be fair. Current doctrine calls for a lot of over the beach traffic. The
V-22 force give the amphibious commander an operational-reach force but the
bulk of an amphibious landing will come ashore in AAVPs and LCACs. There are
likely going to be a lot of targets within range of an AGS. If the AGS comes
on an affordable platform, it could prove useful. If it comes on a DD-1000,
it isn't.

Budget limits are real and playing Budget Whackamole means that every
DD-1000 costs an SSN overhaul as an example. We're entering an era where
having a sizeable army is inevitable and the green suiters will get a much
bigger part of the pie at the expense of the dark blue suiters. The light
blue boys will probably retain their budget position.


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: DD(X) Costs
    ... subsystem developer used it to "justify" his budget by getting on board. ... As long as the AGS can't match the 200nm assault range of the V-22, ... bigger part of the pie at the expense of the dark blue suiters. ...
    (sci.military.naval)
  • McCain out to sink LCS
    ... So that's how McCain figures he'll balance the budget. ... DD, no LCS, no V-22, etc. ... I suppose if the DoD shuts down then the remaining federal budget will ...
    (sci.military.naval)