File This Under WTF: UPDATE 2-U.S. Navy urges Senate to approve LCS warship plan

[unhappycamper]

UPDATE 2-U.S. Navy urges Senate to approve LCS warship plan
Tue Dec 14, 2010 7:02pm EST
By Andrea Shalal-Esa

WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Four top U.S. Navy officials appeared at a hastily arranged Senate hearing to press for approval of a $9.8 billion plan to buy 10 new coastal warships each from both Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and Australia's Austal Ltd (ASB.AX), instead of selecting just one.

Senate appropriators included language approving the Navy's revamped acquisition strategy in an omnibus spending bill that they want to pass this week, marking a victory for the Navy.

The House of Representatives passed a similar message in a bill last week.

But Senator John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, has been a vocal critic of the Navy's decision to switch its acquisition strategy and could still hold up approval by the full Senate.

"The story of this ship is one that makes me ashamed and embarrassed," McCain told Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and other officials on Tuesday, noting that the cost of the new Littoral Combat Ship had more than tripled since its start.



unhappycamper comment: $500 million for one of these pieces of shit seems to be a tad much.

[SpiralHawk]

1. What's the big, sneaky hurry?

Ya gotta wonder.

[msongs]

2. this ship is the Parasite class of ship nt