Navy Using 2 Littoral-Ship Teams Blunts Risk, GAO Says

[unhappycamper]

Navy Using 2 Littoral-Ship Teams Blunts Risk, GAO Says
By Tony Capaccio - Wed Dec 08 23:33:12 GMT 2010

The U.S. Navy’s proposal to buy Littoral Combat Ships from two teams instead of from a single supplier as originally planned might blunt the risk that a model won’t work, congressional auditors said.

“A second ship design provided under the dual-award strategy could provide the Navy an additional hedge” as the groups led by Lockheed Martin Corp. and by a unit of Australia’s Austal Ltd. face “much work and demonstration” ahead, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said today in a report to lawmakers.

The Navy’s experience with the first two vessels from the teams, and contracts locking in the price, should help improve the vessels’ chances of success, the GAO said without giving the strategy a full endorsement. “In the near term, cost increases are likely, but it is unknown whether increases will exceed what the Navy has budgeted for fiscal years 2010 and beyond,” the auditor said.

If backed by Congress, the Navy’s Nov. 3 proposal to acquire 20 of the shallow-water vessels would supersede the service’s 2009 plan to choose one design in a winner-take-all competition. U.S. lawmakers are considering separate measures that might win House approval for the dual-ship approach.

he Congressional Research Service estimated that under the single-model strategy, the ships would cost $480 million each. Using two designs can save at least $1 billion on the first 20 ships with possibly as much as $1.9 billion more in savings by 2016, according to the Navy.



unhappycamper comment: Wowsa. We can 'save' 'at least $1 billion on the first 20 ships'?

That's not so much if you consider the USS Freedom cost $584 million dollars and the USS Independence cost $704 million dollars. I'll bet you pennies on the dollar they cannot meet the new '$480 million each' price point.

[yourout]

1. More to the point......why do we need them in the first place?

[westerebus]

2. Sure they can.

$480 base model. Options ie. AC, radio, power steering, extra.

Discounts taken at time of purchase non-refundable.

Surface to surface, surface to air, radars not included.

Chrome package not available without upgraded power plant.

See your dealer for details.

Mileage may vary.

[bananas]

3. Navy, Using 2 Blunts, Teams Littoral-Ship Risk, GAO Says

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blunt_%28cigar%29

A "blunt" may also refer to a marijuana cigar where the wrapping is a tobacco product. The leaf of a spiral wrapped cigar is moistened (usually with saliva) and removed. The cigar is then cut and the tobacco is removed. The marijuana is then rolled in the paper and the leaf is hand rolled back on to the cigar. An alternative method is to cut the cigar length-wise (including the leaf) and use the paper and leaf as a wrap for the marijuana.

on edit: added commas to subject line.