The Case of the “The Little Crappy” Littoral Navy Combat Ships

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KEY TAKEAWAYS


1. The Navy underestimated costs and the price tag quickly doubled.

2. The ships were supposed to be equipped with interchangeable modules that allowed for different weapon systems to be switched out for different missions to; fight, hunt subs, detect mines. The creation of this system has largely failed with many individual flaws. The Navy’s haste to deliver ships took precedence over combat ability. Without functioning weapons systems the vessels are like a “box floating in the ocean,” one former officer said.

3. Sailors often spent more time fixing ships than sailing them. Often the sailors themselves weren’t allowed to fix issues but a contracted crew would have to be brought in which takes longer and is more expensive.

4. High profile breakdowns exposed deep issues with ships and crew, adding fresh embarrassment to a program meant to propel the Navy into a more technologically advanced future.

5. Top commanders pressured subordinates to sail ships even when they were not prepared to go to sea.

6. Navy secretary and allies in Congress fought to build more ships even as they broke down and failed at sea, building more than needed with an estimated lifetime cost of $100 billion. Those in the navy who spoke out saw their careers derailed.

7. Some ships were decommissioned only after 5 years.

Conclusion the ships weren’t designed correctly, mistakes weren’t learned and created as they raced to build many more with no cares for the actual results. The process became a boondoggle.

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