Here Comes The 150 U.S. Ship Navy

080804-N-0000X-005 MARINETTE, Wis. (Aug. 4, 2008) The first U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship, Freedom (LCS 1), the inaugural ship in an entirely new class of U.S. Navy surface warships, is seen conducting a speed run during Builders Trials. The ship is designed for littoral, or close-to-shore, operations and to provide access and dominance in coastal-water areas. (Photo provided courtesy Lockheed Martin /Released)

Navy Cancels Third Littoral Combat Ship
-- Information Dissemination

Scratch one more ship funded from the 313-ship fleet. For the third time in 2008, a Littoral Combat Ship previously funded by Congress has been canceled, and funds will pay for cost overruns.

The U.S. Navy on Thursday said it would amend an ongoing competition between Lockheed Martin Corp and General Dynamics Corp to add three shore-hugging littoral combat ships in fiscal year 2010.

The Navy said it would delete from the competition a ship it had hoped to buy with fiscal 2008 funds, in line with direction given by Congress in the fiscal 2009 defense spending bill. But Navy spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Victor Chen said the service still planned to award a contract to each of the companies for a second LCS ship in 2009.

"The Navy intends to award one ship to each industry team in FY09 and hold a concurrent competition for three additional ships in FY10," Chen said in a statement.

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My Comment: When I was growing up, I remember vividly that a 500 ship force was the minimum for the U.S. Navy. The times have changed.