LCS and Navy Spanked !
The Navy got spanked! You recall the Navy being handed a cease and desist memo from then SecDef Hagel regarding the LCS program and being told to come up with a frigate. You also know that the Navy promptly ignored the directive and came up with a “frigate” that was the LCS plus a few odds and ends. They thumbed their nose at SecDef and continued merrily on with the LCS program.
Well, now the Navy has been spanked and slapped down. As reported by USNI News, SecDef Carter has issued the Navy a directive (1) to,
- Terminate the LCS buy at 40 hulls
- Select a single ship type and single supplier
- Redirect the budget funds towards F-35C, Super Hornet, and weapons upgrades
This is to take effect in the 2017 budget.
The memo takes some heavy shots at the Navy. Consider this passage,
“This plan reduces, somewhat, the number of LCS available for presence operations, but that need will be met by higher-end ships, and it will ensure that the warfighting forces in our submarine, surface, and aviation fleets have the necessary capabilities and posture to defeat even our most advanced potential adversaries.” [emphasis added]
This is saying that SedDef realizes the LCS will contribute little to combat and that the money will be better spent in other areas. This directly contradicts the Navy PR that the LCS is an amazing vessel that will dominate the battlefield.
Of course, the memo still doesn’t fully recognize the limits of the LCS. Consider this statement.
“Forty LCS/FF will exceed recent historical presence levels and will provide a far more modern and capable ship than the patrol coastals, minesweepers, and frigates that they will replace.”
The LCS will provide presence and will be more modern but it will come nowhere near being as capable as the Perrys and Avengers it replaces. Someone has forgotten that the Perrys had two helos, a larger gun, and a 40 round missile magazine capable of launching Harpoons and Standard missiles. Unless a miracle pops up out of the current wreck of an MCM module, the Avengers were/are far more capable.
Well, this is interesting, and certainly an implied rebuke of the Navy’s policy but is that really a spanking? Well, if you don’t consider that a spanking then read this,
“For the last several years, the Department of the Navy has overemphasized resources used to incrementally increase total ship numbers at the expense of critically-needed investments in areas where our adversaries are not standing still, such as strike, ship survivability, electronic warfare, and other capabilities.”
“This has resulted in unacceptable reductions to the weapons, aircraft, and other advanced capabilities that are necessary to defeat and deter advanced adversaries. Earlier this year the Department of Defense gave guidance to correct and reverse this trend of prioritizing quantity over lethality; however, counter to that guidance, the Department of the Navy’s latest program submission fails to do so. It is accordingly unbalanced, creates too much warfighting and technical risk, and would exceed the numerical requirement of 308 ships… This requirement should be met, but not irresponsibly exceeded.”
Ouch! For those of you who have seen the movie Animal House, this line seems appropriate,
“Thank you, sir. May I have another?”
The Navy was gently prodded to terminate the LCS program, they ignored it, and now they’ve been taken to the woodshed. I’m not a fan of SecDef but I’ll give him full credit on this one!
It appears that people in Washington
Update: Upon reading the full text of the memo, I have to say that the tone is even more severe and critical than I suggested in this post. It explicitly states that the Navy has been heading down the wrong path for the last several years and has ignored DoD's wishes and directives. This is as strong a rebuke as I can ever remember seeing in Washington, the land of political correctness and sensitivity. Someone has got to lose their job as a result of this. Look for SecNav Mabus to "voluntarily" resign in the near future. This also confirms and validates my exceedingly low opinion of CNO Greenert. I know it's not the Washington way but this would be a great time to clean house in the Navy leadership ranks.
Update: Upon reading the full text of the memo, I have to say that the tone is even more severe and critical than I suggested in this post. It explicitly states that the Navy has been heading down the wrong path for the last several years and has ignored DoD's wishes and directives. This is as strong a rebuke as I can ever remember seeing in Washington, the land of political correctness and sensitivity. Someone has got to lose their job as a result of this. Look for SecNav Mabus to "voluntarily" resign in the near future. This also confirms and validates my exceedingly low opinion of CNO Greenert. I know it's not the Washington way but this would be a great time to clean house in the Navy leadership ranks.
(1)USNI, “SECDEF Carter Directs Navy to Cut Littoral Combat Ship Program to 40 Hulls, Single Shipbuilder”, Sam LaGrone, December 16, 2015 ,
Belum ada Komentar untuk "LCS and Navy Spanked !"
Posting Komentar