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Navy Didn't Assess Threat To Stealth Ships, GAO Says
Sorry, no link available.Navy Didn't Assess Threat To Stealth Ships, GAO Says The U.S. Navy's plans to build small, stealth vessels for coastal waters didn't take into consideration possible threats to such craft from larger boats, the Government Accountability Office said. Lockheed Martin Corp. and General Dynamics Corp. are competing to design the Littoral Combat Ship, a small, fast vessel capable of fighting in shallow waters. The production contract could be worth at least $8.7 billion. While concluding that the ship is the best option for operations in such areas, a Navy analysis didn't go far enough, the GAO said. ``Normally, a major acquisition program should include an examination of basic requirements and an analysis of potential solutions before a new system is decided upon,'' the investigative arm of Congress said in a report yesterday. It said the vessels would rely on unproven technology and recommended that the Navy conduct further threat assessment. ``The Navy either has completed or is in the process of conducting some of the analysis GAO recommends'' and will review its acquisition strategy, Glenn Lamartin, director of defense systems for the Defense Department, said in a written response included in the GAO report. ``The LCS program entails risk by design,'' Lamartin said. ``The department balances the program acquisition risks with the risk of delaying closure of the warfighting gaps that LCS will fill.'' Navy spokesman Lt. Jon Spiers declined to comment beyond the Defense Department remarks included in the document. Lockheed spokesman Tom Greer and General Dynamics spokesman Rob Doolittle said they couldn't immediately comment because they hadn't seen the report yet. The Littoral Combat Ship is intended in part to patrol shorelines and provide combat support to ground troops. The Navy and Lockheed signed a contract for design and construction of the first ship in December, with delivery in fiscal 2007, GAO said. The Navy will then begin testing the vessel. The General Dynamics ship will be delivered the following year. Navy plans call for buying 21 of the ships through 2011 at a cost of $8.7 billion. The development phase is estimated to cost $1.5 billion, and the total cost of the program ``remains uncertain,'' according to the GAO report, requested by Congress. ``A number of the technologies chosen for the LCS mission packages are not yet mature, meaning that they have not been demonstrated in an operational environment, which is a best practice for major acquisition programs,'' according to the GAO. ``Immature technologies increase the risk that some systems will not perform as expected and may require additional time and funding to develop.'' Shares of Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed, the top U.S. defense contractor, rose 23 cents to $59.73 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Falls Church, Virginia-based General Dynamics rose 87 cents to $106.08. Posted by: longtime lurker 2005-03-03 |
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