Flexible Weapons Key to U.S. Navy’s Future SuccessJanuary 20, 2010
 The Navy's future success depends on acquiring flexible and affordable weapons systems that can quickly switch missions depending on the threat, said Admiral Gary Roughead, the Navy's chief officer. Affordability and flexibility are critical given that the demand for the Navy's services has increased at a time when it also must cut costs, he said. This means controlling the urge to add new "bells or whistles" to existing programs, increasing the efficiency of maintaining ships and keeping the new F-35 fighter jet program on schedule, according to a Reuters article. "The stuff that we buy is going to be around for a long time so we need to get as much flexibility out of it [as possible]," Roughead told Reuters during a trip to Alabama to commission a ship built by General Dynamics Corp. He said his top priority is to buy dozens of smaller, less expensive ships to expand the Navy's fleet from 287 to 313. Roughead is working on the Navy's budget for fiscal year 2011, which is due February 1. He declined to comment specifically about the budget, but told Reuters that it is always "a tough drill," given all the competing demands, and that "you always want to be able to do more, but I'm not dissatisfied." The two competing designs for the new class of warships—an aluminum three-hulled ship from General Dynamics and a steel monohull design from Lockheed Martin—offer flexibility. Both ships will help streamline the Navy's operations because they require a smaller crew and can easily switch missions—from combating enemy submarines to providing disaster relief. Roughead said he's satisfied with both ship designs and is pushing the Navy to award a contract quickly to one of the prime contractors. "It doesn't make any difference to me if it's the LCS-1 design or the LCS-2 design. I've seen enough of both that I'm satisfied. Now it's about getting the cost down and getting the numbers." (Littoral Combat Ship, Freedom (LCS 1) Courtesy: Lockheed Martin) |
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