Psssst, Dude......Wanna Buy a Destroyer for Only $5 Billion

Uh, no. At least I hope that is what the Congress will finally decide. DOD and Congress really need to get over the stars-in-the-eyes view of new weapon systems. When was the last time the Defense Dept. underestimated the cost of a major weapon system? Hell, when was the last time they underestimated the cost by less than 50%? I cannot remember a case of either. This DDG 1000 program has from the start relied on technologies that don't exist yet and the assumption that we will soon be facing a major nation's military that is funded like our own. DOD brass are living in the past and it is costing us all.

• The House of Representatives already has voted for at least a pause in DDG 1000 purchases, citing the cost - as much as $5 billion each - of the first two ships in the series and their dependence on still-unproven technologies.

Secretary Gates (man what a great change from Rumsfeld) has termed this tendency of the military services to go for the gold-plated option every time "next-war-itis." He is spot-on with that assessment.
- posted by john @ 1:06 PM