The littoral combat ship Freedom, left, and the future USS Coronado. (Navy)
Pentagon Said to Order Cutting Littoral Ships to 32 From 52 -- Bloomberg Businessweek
The Pentagon has given the U.S. Navy preliminary instructions to buy 32 of its troubled Littoral Combat Ships instead of the 52 previously planned, according to defense officials.
The directive to scrap 20 of the planned ships came in a Jan. 6 memo from Acting Deputy Defense Secretary Christine Fox to the Navy that could be overturned or modified before the final budget proposal for fiscal 2015 is released, according to the officials, who asked not to be identified before an announcement.
The program to build 52 ships by 2026, in two versions made by Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT:US) and Austal Ltd. (ASB), has faced an expanding list of questions about the vessels’ manning, mission, firepower, defenses and survivability, even as costs have soared amid Pentagon budget cuts. The total cost to develop and build the ships intended for use in shallow coastal waters is currently projected at $32 billion.
Read more ....
Update #1: Pentagon Cuts LCS Buy to 32 Ships -- Defense News
Update #2: Navy will reportedly cut littoral combat ship order by 20 -- al.com
My Comment: This is a shocking announcement. But considering how expensive these ships are .... the problems that they are having .... and deep cuts to the defense budget .... this should not be a surprise.
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