I’m not disputing your points...DDG-1000 should have been used in the same manner as the Seawolf attack sub; as a limited production technology testbed. We built three of the class, and a lot of the lessons learned/perfected on Seawolf have been integrated into the Virginia-class, making them a much better boat, at a lower per-unit cost.
Same thing for LCS..I’d stop production now, unless the Naval Special Warfare community can show a compelling reason they need more for a SEAL platform. Take whatever “positives” there are from the design, and start working on a new generation gunboat or light amphibious craft—or better yet, a more stealthy frigate that can perform many of the LCS roles and defend itself against a variety of threats. And some of the technology from DDG-1000 could be integrated in that platform as well.
Agree on both counts. They both were useful testbeds and experiments. Some things you can mock up and decide if they are worthwhile and others you need to build and use operationally before the data is in. The reality is that you can’t usually build the better cheaper model until you have tried the fancy expensive one.
I get tired of people whining and crying about EVERY DAMN weapon system we have tried to procure in the last 25 years. Really? They all suck? Really? Well lets just hand the country to the chicoms now. /sarc
Useless chicken-littles.