The US Bought Another Of These 'Unreliable' $1.5-Billion Ships

[xchrom]

http://www.businessinsider.com/a-tour-of-the-navys-san-antonio-class-amphibious-transport-dock-2012-7



Able to carry 800 Marines and their gear anyplace they need to go — the San Antonio Class Amphibious Transport Dock is vital for projecting U.S. forces abroad: but they don't come cheap.

The newest vessel will cost American taxpayers about $1.5 billion and is designed to be the the most survivable amphibious assault ship ever designed.

While the Defense Department's director of evaluations doesn't agree, and thinks the ship's critical systems aren't reliable, and the ship will crumble against an attack — it didn't stop the Pentagon from purchasing one more — last week.


Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/a-tour-of-the-navys-san-antonio-class-amphibious-transport-dock-2012-7?op=1#ixzz22IZjLGIO

[msongs]

1. our biggest enemies are within nt

[atreides1]

2. Marcus Tullius Cicero

“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear. The traitor is the plague.”

[HopeHoops]

3. They needed a third one to name after Somerset, PA.

[truebrit71]

4. I actually think that's pretty cool...

...as far as navy vessels go...the fact that it doesn't work as advertised is pretty standard nowadays for military projects isn't it?

Oh, and which country is this designed for the US to attack? Because that thing is about as tactically useful in the 'war on terr' as a whisk is to lawn-mowing...

[RC]

5. Shhh, the MIC needs their profits.

[ryan_cats]

6. So, how much are we spending to replace the Space Shuttle?

So, how much are we spending to replace the Space Shuttle? This thing is almost 10% of Nasa's budget. When and how will we have man rated rockets again?

[Romulox]

8. The Space Shuttle was almost as big a boon-doggle as this thing. Our grandparents went to the MOON.

For the last 40 years, we've barely managed to penetrate earth's upper atmosphere.

[ryan_cats]

10. The reason for that is the Air Force.

The reason for that is the Air Force. I remember they wanted a thousand mile range on the return trajectory. So, they redesigned the shuttle and then the Air Force basically bailed and they were stuck with the delta wind design. That wasn't the only thing the Air Force wanted and got either.

Yes, the shuttle never realized a profit which they thought it would with a ridiculous launch schedule that they never could achieve. I think the average was $200 million per launch and the most they got back was $100 million. After the Challenger accident, it came out that for each shuttle flight, they had to cannibalize parts from another shuttle. When one would land, Nasa would send a team to scavenge the parts they needed.

I've never understood why the shuttle's altitude was only low Earth orbit. The SRBs are stack-able, couldn't they have added more segments as well as a bigger main fuel tank?

Now, we're paying the Russians to launch our astronauts. I wish they'd spend that money here.

Access to space is in our best interest. What is this ship for? Last I looked, Afghanistan is land locked.

[Romulox]

11. It was apparently designed to launch spy satellites. Makes more sense when that is known.

Information declassified in 2011 showed that the payload bay was designed specifically to accommodate the KH-9 HEXAGON spy satellite operated by the National Reconnaissance Office.[27]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_shuttle#cite_note-26

[Xyzse]

7. Hmmm, I rather get one of these!

http://www.i4u.com/51242/japanese-kuratas-robot-weighs-45-tons-and-has-really-big-gun#full_story

1.5 Million a Pop, and you could arm it with ballistic armor and actual guns if need be.

[Romulox]

9. Booo wheels! It's a car with a torso, not a giant humanoid robot! nt

[Xyzse]

12. You're Right!

Still, there were Mobile Suits with Tank Legs also.
I keep thinking this is still version 1.

Still, you had me laughing immediately at your reaction.

[Romulox]

14. Real life mecha is a dream of mine, also.

Let's make this happen, Japan!

[Xyzse]

15. Even if they are only making Wanzers

A-La- Front Mission... I'm fine with that too.
I think they should be able to pull it off by now.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Viagra. Pentagon style.

[think]

16. It's a small price to pay to protect our multinational corporations' profits

Always remember. Hypocrisy is bliss....

[ThomThom]

17. sounds a little over priced

Are they planning more war?