Top Navy Leader Floats Idea Of Selling Troubled Littoral Combat Ships To Allies In South America

The nine in-commission Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships the Navy is proposing to decommission as part of the FY 2023 budget. US Navy Photos 

 

Military.com: Navy Leader Floats Idea of Selling Troubled Littoral Combat Ships to South America 

The Navy's top uniformed leader told Congress that the U.S. government should consider selling ships from its troubled littoral combat fleet it plans to decommission to countries in South America. 

The Navy has faced sharp criticism for its latest plan to decommission all of its Freedom-class littoral combat ships. 

The youngest ship, USS St. Louis (LCS-19), was commissioned less than two years ago in August 2020. 

"We should consider offering these ships to other countries that would be able to use them effectively," Adm. Michael Gilday said when asked by Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., about the Navy's plan to decommission nine of the ships in its upcoming budget proposal at a Senate committee hearing Thursday.

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WNU Editor: I am expecting a fire-sale of these ships. 

Top Navy Leader Floats Idea Of Selling Troubled Littoral Combat Ships To Allies In South America  

Gilday: Navy could offer retired Littoral Combat Ships to South American nations -- Breaking Defense  

The Navy might have a garage sale for the Littoral Combat Ships they just built but don’t want -- Task & Purpose  

Navy Could Transfer Decommissioned Littoral Combat Ships to Allies, Says CNO -- USNI News  

US might sell boondoggle warships to allies -- RT

Can The U.S. Navy Fix The Littoral Combat Ship Program?

 

CNBC: Inside the Littoral Combat Ship, one of the Navy’s most controversial warships 

The USS Freedom — the first Littoral Combat Ship, or LCS — was decommissioned after only 13 years in the fleet. This move appears to be at odds with the U.S. Navy’s goal of building up a force of 355 ships. 

The LCS is designed for littoral areas, or water closer to shore. Larger ships have trouble operating in these areas because of the shallow water. But engine issues, mission module problems and the evolving state of the world have put the future of the ship in choppy waters.

Several older Littoral Combat Ships are also being decommissioned due to the high cost of upgrading them. 

“The bottom line is, it’s a zero-sum game. Every dollar you spend to keep those [LCS’] going is $1 you can spend on these other, I think, higher priorities” said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.  

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WNU Editor: The Littoral Combat Ship program has been around for a long time. The problems that persist today are the same problems that existed over a decade ago. I have trouble seeing how this program can move forward from where it is today.

U.S. Navy Has Plans To Deploy Up To Eight LCS In The Western Pacific By The End Of 2022

The littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords, front, exercises with the Republic of Singapore Navy Formidable-class multi-role stealth frigate RSS Steadfast in the South China Sea, on May 25, 2020.  

CNN: In the turbulent South China Sea, the US Navy bets on a troubled warship 

Hong Kong (CNN)When US Vice President Kamala Harris stepped aboard the littoral combat ship USS Tulsa in Singapore on Monday, it put a fresh spotlight on arguably one of the most divisive vessels in the US Navy's fleet. 

Depending on who you talk to, littoral combat ships (LCS) are either a naval threat capable of "blowing up every Chinese operation in the South China Sea," or a floating symbol of all the US Navy's most pernicious problems. 

And while US naval leaders tout the LCS' speed and agility in shallower coastal areas, critics point to its limited armaments and history of mechanical breakdowns. 

 "The reason we are here is important," Harris told the crew of the Tulsa on Monday night. 

"Our presence in the Indo-Pacific has a long, long history, including now, of helping to guarantee peace and security, freedom of trade and commerce, freedom of navigation ... and open waterways, and the rules-based international order that has brought so much safety and prosperity to so many."  

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WNU Editor: The US Navy's LCS fleet has had performance and maintenance problems since its inception. They are no much for the Chinese Navy. This deployment is more for show, and to show the American flag.

The U.S. Navy Wants Lasers On Its Littoral Combat Ships

An artist's conception of HELIOS installed on a US Navy Arleigh Burke class destroyer. Lockheed Martin

Warzone/The Drive: Navy Littoral Combat Ship Will Soon Be Armed With A Laser Weapon System

The USS Little Rock is poised to become the third active Navy ship to be equipped with a new laser weapon.

The U.S. Navy says the Freedom class Littoral Combat Ship USS Little Rock will get a 150-kilowatt class laser weapon system from Lockheed Martin this year. This would make Little Rock the third of the service's warships to be fitted with a high-power laser of some kind, following the installation of two different designs on the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Dewey and the San Antonio class landing platform dock amphibious ship USS Portland last year. The War Zone was first to report that both of these vessels had gotten their respective lasers.

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WNU Editor:  The US Navy is betting big on this technology.

The U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship Program Is A Disaster

USS Independence (LCS 2) of the General Dynamics Independence Class (front right) and USS Freedom (LCS 1) of the Lockheed Martin Freedom Class littoral combat ships. Naval-Technology.com

David Axe, National Interest: It's Official: The U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship Is a Complete Failure

Here come the frigates.

The U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship was supposed to be cheap, fast, flexible and easy to build.

But after spending $30 billion over a period of around two decades, the U.S. Navy has managed to acquire just 35 of the 3,000-ton-displacement vessels.

Sixteen were in service as of late 2018. Of those 16, four are test ships. Six are training ships. In 2019 just six LCSs, in theory, are deployable.

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WNU Editor: Mike Burleson at his blog New Wars (archived here) predicted all of this over ten years ago.

The U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ships Continue To Be A Maintenanace Nightmare

Popular Mechanics: Two Years After Breakdown, This Littoral Combat Ship is Back in the Fleet

The long repair period highlighted the many problems plaguing the Navy’s latest class of ships.

The USS Freedom is rejoining the fleet more than two years after an engine breakdown sidelined the vessel. That's good news for the Freedom, sure, but the lengthy repair only underscores the multitude of problems the U.S. Navy has experienced with this new breed of ships—ships that might be functionally obsolete before they really even get going.

When it was commissioned in 2008, USS Freedom was meant to be the first of a new type of ship, the littoral combat ship (LCS). The LCS is a small, frigate-size vessel meant to operate near shores and coastlines, supporting operations in post-9/11 war zones.

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WNU Editor: When I started this blog over ten years ago one of the first bloggers I enjoyed reading was Mike Burleson's "New Wars" blog. Mike was the first blogger to point out all the problems within the LCS program, and sad to say he has been proven right years later. He no longer posts, but his warnings on US Navy programs like the LCS program still hold true today.

A Closer Look At The U.S. Navy's Newest Combat Ship

We Are The Mighty: This is the Navy's newest combat ship

On November 17, 2018, the Navy will officially commission the USS Sioux City, the newest littoral combat ship. It's a quick and lethal addition to the fleet that can carry missiles, helicopters, and mines, despite being one of the smaller commissioned ships the U.S. Navy has.

The Sioux City is a Freedom variant of the LCS, and it carries a 57mm gun, Rolling Airframe Missiles, .50-cal. machine guns, and the ALEX decoy system by default. The Sioux City also has a Mk. 50 torpedo, a lightweight torpedo that's great for hitting fast-moving and deep-diving submarines.

The 57mm Bofors gun can fire airburst or conventional rounds at up to 4 rounds per second, shredding small boats or attackers on shore. The RAM allows the ship to engage anti-ship missiles, aircraft, and surface vessels and can even track and engage multiple targets at once. And the ALEX decoy allows the ship to create a massive radar signature to spoof missiles heading at the LCS or a fleet that it's supporting.

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WNU Editor: Here is some more info on the USS Sioux City, the US Navy's newest $362 million/3500-ton ship .... USS Sioux City: A $362 million, 3,500-ton home on the water (Capital Gazette).

Is The U.S. Navy Throwing In The Towel On The Littoral Combat Ship?

Jared Keller, USNI News: The Navy Basically Just Admitted That The Littoral Combat Ship Is A Floating Garbage Pile

After 16 years and billions of dollars, the Navy may have finally acknowledged that its Littoral Combat Ship program looks like a miserable failure.

The service “may not” deploy any of the dozen small surface combatants this year despite officials’ previous plans to deploy several to join the 7th and 5th Fleets in Singapore and Bahrain respectively, the U.S. Naval Institute first reported on April 11.

Given the embarrassing cost overruns and frequent mechanical failures that have plagued the program, the exquisitely-detailed report suggests that the Navy has run out of patience for the disappointment mill that is the Littoral Combat Ship, once the backbone of the future fleet that could have 355 ships.

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WNU editor: Mike Burleson's blog "New Wars" is where I got my education that the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship program was a failure. Mike no longer blogs, but it is sad to say that all of his predictions from ten years ago have come true. His list of LCS Acronyms always cracks me up (see below).

• Look! We’re Clueless about the Shallows
• Lavishly Crewed Speedboat
• Lousy Concept Ship
• Literal Cash Sin
• Littoral Cash Shocker
• Listless Crunchy Ship
• Leveraged Cost Ship
• Listing Capital Sink
• Littoral Combat Gyp
• Luxury Cruise Ship
• Less Capable Service
• Lickity Cwick Ship
• Low on Combat Systems
• Low Capability Ship
• Laughably inCapable Ship
• Lack of Common Sense
• Lockmart Capsizes at Sea
• Low Cost Ship (How’d that get there!!)
• Little Crappy Ship
• Look for Costs to Soar
• Looks Cool offShore
• Literal Crap Shoot
• Lockmart Cancels Sanity
• Lockheed Can’t be Serious!
• Loosely Constrained Swindle
• Literally Costly Swindle
• Lackadaisically Constrained Swindle
• LockMart’s Costly Swindle
• Little Crappy Showboat
• Literally Crappy Ship
• LockMart’s Cash Sucker
• Literally Corpulent Speedboat
• Likely to Collapse Suddenly
• Life onboard Could be Short
• Likely Can’t Survive
• Likely to Capsize and Sink in 1 minute
• Literally Collapsible Speedboat
• Literally Collapsible Showboat
• Literally Collapsible Ship
• Lickity Cwick Speedboat
• Lickity Cwick Showboat
• Loser Compared to Skjold
• Literally inComparable to Skjold
• Loses in Competition to Sea Fighter
• Laughably Compromised Specifications
• Larry Curley Shemp
• Lousy Capacity Speedboat
• Let’s Copy Swift
• Loquaciously Consumptive Speedboat
• Luxuriantly Crappy Speedboat

The U.S. Navy Wants A New Combat Frigate

Scout Warrior: Navy Asks Industry for "Concept Designs" of New Combat Frigate

The US Navy is asking industry to prepare "concept design" proposals to build a new combat-capable Frigate able to destroy swarming small boat attacks, operate.

The US Navy is asking industry to prepare "concept design" proposals to build a new combat-capable Frigate able to destroy swarming small boat attacks, operate undersea and aerial drones, support carrier strike groups, conduct dis-aggregated operations, attack enemies with an over-the-horizon missile and engage in advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare, according to an announcement several months ago from Naval Sea Systems Command.

This new Guided Missile Frigate platform will "employ unmanned systems to penetrate and dwell in contested environments, operating at greater risk to gain sensor and weapons advantages over the adversary," the Navy announcement states.

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WNU Editor: This "new Navy" program sounds a lot like a cheaper version of the LCS program.

Is The U.S. Navy Pulling The Plug On Its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program?

ONE VERSION OF THE LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP -- GENERAL DYNAMICS' USS INDEPENDENCE (LCS-2). IMAGE SOURCE: U.S. NAVY.

Motley Fool: Will Congress Put the Kibosh on the Navy's New Frigates?

GAO takes Pentagon to task for plans to spend $9 billion on an imaginary warship.

The U.S. Navy is pulling the plug on its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program.

That's not the official storyline, of course. Officially, the Navy still supports the LCS, of which 14 ships have been christened, 10 of which have actually entered service (granted, half of those subsequently broke down -- but that's another story), and another 14 are under contract and/or under construction today.

But after those first 28 ships have been delivered, it's not entirely clear what will happen next.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It looks like Congress is not on board .... Senators Call on Mattis to Buy More Littoral Combat Ships (Military.com)

Did The U.S. Navy 'Steal' The Concept For Its Littoral Combat Ship?

MC1 JAMES R. EVANS/U.S. NAVY

David Axe, Daily Beast: Did the Navy Steal Its New Warship Designs?

It’s the cornerstone of the U.S. Navy’s future fleet. And a legendary ship-designer says the idea was all his.

It’s been rough sailing for the U.S. Navy’s new Littoral Combat Ship. The speedy, warship has come under fire for being lightly-armed, weakly-built, undermanned, and prone to rusting—and yet, at the same time, way too expensive.

And in recent months, four of the 400-foot-long warships—half of the Littoral Combat Ships currently in commission—have suffered serious engine breakdowns, possible signs of systemic problems with the ship’s design and operating procedures.

As if that weren’t enough for the beleaguered vessel, David Giles, a prominent ship-designer, is accusing the Navy of stealing his concepts for a high-speed cargo ship and illegally applying them to the $500-million-a-copy Littoral Combat Ship.

Read more ....

Update #1: Did the Navy steal the design for one of its new Littoral Combat Ships? -- Extreme Tech
Update #2: U.S. Navy being sued in Littoral Combat Ship patent case -- Al.com

WNU Editor: Legal issues aside .... on a bright note it appears that the ship's shock trial's were successful (maybe) .... Navy Says LCS Shock Trials Had Positive Results; Pentagon Still Has Concerns (USNI News).

Growing Criticism Of The U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship Program

The future USS Detroit (LCS 7) conducts acceptance trials on July 14, 2016. Lockheed Martin Photo

Washington Examiner: Pentagon's top tester: Littoral ships 'have a near-zero chance of completing a 30-day mission'

The Navy's Littoral Combat Ship program is behind schedule, hundreds of millions over budget, and incapable of conducting most of the basic missions it was intended to carry out. Senators on Thursday said they wanted to know why.

"Like so many major programs that preceded it, LCS's failure followed predictably from an inability to define and stabilize requirements, unrealistic initial cost estimates, and unreliable assessments of technical and integration risk, made worse by repeatedly buying ships and mission packages before proving they are effective and can be operated together," said Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., told Pentagon witnesses during a hearing.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was more blunt. "The process is completely broken. If you want this to stop, somebody needs to get fired."

Read more ....

More News On The Growing Criticism Of The U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ship Program

Acquisition Chief: LCS Program 'Broke' the Navy -- Military.com
Navy's troubled Littoral Combat Ship at crossroads, GAO says -- Stars and Stripes
LCS: Senate panel hears contrasting views -- Marine Log
The miracle that wasn’t: Navy hammered in Senate over ‘failed’ ship design -- RT
Mobile's Navy LCS program faces funding crisis in defense budget -- Al.com
$14 Billion for More Navy Combat Ships? Trump Faces a Big Decision -- Fiscal Times

US Navy Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery Sustains A Second Hull Crack In A Month

IBTimes: New US Navy Warship, USS Montgomery, Damaged In Panama Canal

A brand-new U.S. Navy warship suffered an 18-inch crack to its hull while passing through the Panama Canal en route to San Diego.

The USS Montgomery has been in service less than two months. The Independence-class littoral combat ship hit a cement structure as it headed west through the locks Saturday, the Navy said in a statement to CNN. At the time, a Panama Canal pilot was in control.

"The crack is located 8-10 feet above the waterline and poses no water intrusion or stability risk," the Navy said. The ship continued on its way to San Diego, where it is expected to arrive next month.

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More News On The US Navy Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery Sustaining A Second Hull Crack In A Month

Another mishap for Navy's $360 million warship -- CNN
LCS Montgomery Sustains Second Hull Crack in a Month -- Military.com
Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery Had Another Hull Cracking Collision -- The Drive
Three Times a Charm: US Navy Littoral Combat Ship Damaged (Again) -- The Diplomat
USS Montgomery LCS damaged during Panama Canal transit -- UPI
U.S. Navy’s Newest Littoral Combat Ship Damaged (Again) in Panama Canal -- GCaptain

Another U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship Has Broken Down

The USS Montgomery littoral combat ship has passed its trials and will be commissioned in September. It was built for the U.S. Navy by Austal USA in Mobile. (Austal USA)

USNI News: UPDATED: Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery Suffers Engineering Casualty, Fifth LCS Casualty Within Last Year

This story has been updated with additional information from the Navy. An earlier version of this post indicated the casualty occurred on Sept. 15 when it in fact occurred on Sept. 13.

THE PENTAGON — Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery (LCS-8) suffered two unrelated engineering casualties during a transit in the Gulf of Mexico and is heading to Florida for repairs, the Navy told USNI News on Friday.

On Sept. 13, Independence-class ship was bound for the Panama Canal when Montgomery suffered two engineering failures. Now the ship is headed to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo, Cuba under its own power but under propulsion restrictions before returning to Naval Station Mayport, Fla. for repairs, Naval Surface Forces confirmed to USNI News.

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WNU Editor: These breakdowns are catching the eye of the US Senate .... McCain, Reed Target $29 Billion Littoral Ship for More Changes (Bloomberg)

More News On Another U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship Breaking Down

LCS Montgomery limps back to port only days after its commissioning -- Navy Times
LCS Montgomery Suffers Two Engine Casualties Days after Commissioning -- Military.com
Ground Hog Day: 5th US Navy Littoral Combat Ship Out of Action in a Year -- The Diplomat
US Navy’s Half Billion Dollar Warship Suffers Two Engine Failures in First Days -- Sputnik

Pentagon Releases Video Showing Littoral Combat Ship USS Jackson Undergoing Shock Trials (Video)

WNU Editor: This test was done in June .... Littoral Combat Ship USS Jackson Completes First Full Ship Shock Trial Blast (USNI News).

Another US Navy Littoral Combat Ship Breaks Down

USS Coronado (LCS-4) conducts operations during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016 in July. US Navy Photo

Defense News: Another LCS Breaks Down, This Time in Mid-Pacific

WASHINGTON — In yet another incident in what is turning out to be a bad year for the US Navy’s littoral combat ship program, the LCS Coronado is reported to have suffered a propulsion problem in the mid-Pacific and has turned back to return to Hawaii. The latest issue, this time with an Independence-class LCS variant, follows a series of problems striking ships of the Freedom class.

Sources said the Coronado is about 800 nautical miles west of Hawaii, proceeding at about 10 knots. The Military Sealift Command oiler Henry J. Kaiser is accompanying the ship. About 70 sailors are aboard the LCS.

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WNU Editor: This is the fourth LCS to break down this year.

More News On Another US Navy Littoral Combat Ship Breaking Down

LCS Coronado suffers engineering problem on first deployment and returns to port -- Navy Times
UPDATED: USS Coronado Suffers Engineering Casualty, Returning to Pearl Harbor -- USNI News
Fourth breakdown in US Navy littoral combat ship -- CNN
US Navy LCS Coronado Faces Engineering Issue During First Deployment -- Defense World
US Littoral Combat Ship Heads Back to Pearl Harbor After ‘Engineering Casualty’ -- Sputnik

U.S. Navy's Freedom-Class Littoral Combat Ships Continue To Break Down

The littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) is underway conducting sea trials off the coast of Southern California. Freedom, the lead ship of the Freedom variant of LCS, is expected to deploy to Southeast Asia this spring. February 2013. Wikipedia

Military.com: Third Freedom-Class LCS Breaks Down in 12 Months

The littoral combat ship USS Freedom will need an engine rebuild or replacement after a seawater leak resulted in significant damage, Navy officials said.

The Freedom is the third ship in the Freedom class of LCS, built by Lockheed Martin Corp., to suffer an engine casualty in the last year. The news of the incident, which happened July 11, was announced by the Navy on Sunday night.

The Freedom, the first ship in its class, returned to its homeport at Naval Base San Diego, California, on July 13 under its own power to conduct repairs on an unrelated issue, officials with Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, said in a release.

While in port, personnel examined the leak, which happened at the seawater pump mechanical seal, allowing seawater to enter the engine lube oil system and damage the ship's second main propulsion diesel engine, officials said.

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WNU Editor: Mike Burleson (New Wars Blog) told me and his readers years ago that the LCS was a lemon .... sighhh .... it took a while Mike, but you have been proven right.

U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship Struggled In Recent War Games Against Fast-Attack Small Boats

The Littoral Combat Ship, designed for operations in shallow coastal waters, is made in two versions by Lockheed Martin Corp. and Austal Ltd. Source: U.S. Navy Photo

Bloomberg: New U.S Navy Ship Struggles in Test to Fend Off Attacking Boats

* Fast-attack small boats like Iran's enter `keep-out' zone
* Pentagon's testing chief also discloses more reliability flaws

The U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship struggled in drills at sea to fend off a swarm of small attacking vessels like the Iranian boats it could encounter in the Persian Gulf, according to the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester.

The fast-attack boats were ultimately defeated by the USS Coronado during three mock engagements in August and September to test its guns and targeting gear. But in two exercises an attacker came too close, penetrating the vessel’s “keep-out” zone, Pentagon testing director Michael Gilmore said in his annual report on major weapons submitted to congressional defense committees.

While Gilmore didn’t mention Iran as a threat, its Islamic Revolutionary Guards operate small boats with crews trained for swarming attacks in the contested waters of the Persian Gulf. The Coronado’s “inability to defeat this relative modest threat beyond ‘keep-out’ range routinely under test conditions raises questions about its ability to deal with more challenging threats,” Gilmore added.

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WNU Editor: The U.S. Air Force has the F-35 (and its problems) .... and the U.S. Navy has the Littoral Combat Ship (and its problems).

Second U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship Breaks Down In One Month

Littoral Combat Ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) CARAT Cambodia 2015 (Photo: MC2 Antonio Ramos/US Navy)

Defense News: In Singapore, Another US Navy LCS Is Sidelined With Machinery Problems

WASHINGTON — For the second time in a month, a US Navy littoral combat ship (LCS) has been sidelined due to machinery problems.

The Fort Worth, a Freedom-class LCS that has been operating for more than a year in the western Pacific, “experienced a casualty to the ship’s combining gears during an in-port period in Singapore Jan. 12,” according to Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight, a spokesman for the US Pacific Fleet.

So far, according to Knight, “the casualty appears to be caused by a failure to follow established procedures during maintenance.”

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WNU Editor: The Russians are laughing .... Misery Loves Company: Second Newest US Navy Ship Breaks Down in One Month (Sputnik).

More News On The U.S. Navy's Second Littoral Combat Ship Breaking Down In One Month

U.S. Navy's Fort Worth LCS ship suffers gear damage in Singapore -- Reuters
Singapore: US Navy Littoral Combat Ship Out of Action After Gear Damage -- The Diplomat
Littoral Combat Ship USS Fort Worth Sidelined in Singapore with Propulsion System Damage -- USNI News
Navy Littoral Ship Sidelined in Singapore After Gear Damage -- Bloomberg
USS Fort Worth grounded at Singapore naval base -- Naval Technology

So Much For The U.S. Navy's 'Ship of The future'

U.S. Navy

David Axe, Daily Beast: Navy’s Ships of the Future, Sunk

The Littoral Combat Ship was supposed to represent the future of small, fast, and flexible warships. Instead it was beset by significant flaws and questions of reliability.

After years of work costing billions of dollars, the U.S. Navy is scaling back its controversial effort to build a fleet of small, speedy, flexible warships for near-shore patrols—a fleet plagued by design flaws, mismanagement and technical malfunctions.

But the Navy’s not cutting the fleet by choice—and not everyone is happy with the change. The decision to reduce the Littoral Combat Ship program from 52 ships to 40, while also building them all at one shipyard, reflects an ongoing conflict inside the Pentagon over America’s military strategy.

On one side are the advocates of what defense planners call “presence”—that is, stationing lots of inexpensive troops, planes and ships near potential hotspots in order to reassure America’s allies and ward off its enemies, theoretically preventing war without anyone firing a shot.

WNU Editor: So much for the U.S. Navy's goal of having 300 ships by 2019.