Navy secretary says combat ship costs will decline

[unhappycamper]

http://hamptonroads.com/2014/07/navy-secretary-says-combat-ship-costs-will-decline

Navy secretary says combat ship costs will decline
The Associated Press
© July 25, 2014

ABOARD USS INDEPENDENCE

Operating costs for the U.S. Navy's newest ships will decline and "become more normal" over time, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said Thursday.

The Navy designed littoral combat ships to have smaller crews and lower costs than other vessels, but a Government Accountability Office report earlier this month said they each cost about $79 million to operate annually. That's more than the $54 million it costs to operate a frigate, which are larger and have more sailors on board.

As more of the ships enter the fleet and are used, the costs will be "well within acceptable limits" Mabus told The Associated Press during a visit to the USS Independence, the second littoral combat ship to be commissioned, while it participated in exercises off Hawaii.

"I think as we get into the operations, you're going to see them become more normal," Mabus said of the costs.

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Uuuum...

The USS Freedom, LCS #1 cost $584 million dollars, delivered. $79 million in annual operating costs is an overhead of 13.52%.

The USS Independence, LCS #2 cost $704 million dollars, delivered. $79 million in annual operating costs is an overhead of 11.22%.

Imagine a 10% annual operating cost on a $1.8 billion dollar Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (62 currently in service) or a 10% annual operating cost on a $5.6 billion dollar Zumwalt-class destroyer.

I'd like to see normal, Admiral. Wait a minute - what's normal operating costs on these things?

[Tetris_Iguana]

1. Seriously?

Costs never go down in politics.

[truebluegreen]

2. Especially true in the military.

[Dayton L. Kitchens]

3. Sounds about right.

Once a system if up and going operating costs tend to decline as more spare parts become available making maintenance more doable and crews learn to operate new equipment more efficiently.

[unhappycamper]

4. The LCS was designed for automation and minimal crew.

They already had to add another crew module because they didn't have enough people to properly maintain it.

LCS #1 broke down on it's initial cruise to the Far East. (Kinda reminds me of the USS San Antonio's troubles.)

Mission modules are still not available.

A 57mm pop gun for main armament? Really?

Congress, in its infinite wisdom ordered 52 more of these over-priced things to keep the shipyards going.

Congress, in its infinite wisdom, then cut the order from 52 new ships to 32 new ships.

Congress, in its infinite wisdom, should scrap the LCS program and tell the DoD to figure out how to build semi-affordable ships.

IMO the LCS program closely resembles the F-35 program. Late, doesn't work as advertised, and very overpriced.