Planned cuts would hit Navy's littoral ship program

[unhappycamper]

http://hamptonroads.com/2014/02/planned-cuts-would-hit-navys-littoral-ship-program

Planned cuts would hit Navy's littoral ship program
By Henry C. Jackson
The Associated Press
© February 24, 2014

WASHINGTON

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Monday he is seeking cuts to a Navy combat ship program that is linked with thousands of jobs in Wisconsin.

Hagel said at a press conference that he plans to limit an order of littoral combat ships to 32 total vessels — 20 fewer than had been planned. The ships are built in Marinette, Wis., and Mobile, Ala.

"I am concerned that the Navy is relying too heavily on the (littoral combat ship) to achieve its long-term goals for ship numbers," Hagel said. "Therefore, no new contract negotiations beyond 32 ships will go forward."

~snip~

Trimming the number of ships on order by nearly 40 percent would have a disproportionate impact on Wisconsin. Marinette is one of two locations where the ships are built. Defense contractor Lockheed Martin builds a version of the ship through the Marinette Marine Corp. based in the northern Wisconsin city of Marinette. Roughly 2,000 jobs are linked directly with the program.

[DetlefK]

1. Building weapons for the sake of building weapons.

There are jobs on the line. I got that. But what if the customer does not want the product?