Even the Republicans Began to Take Notice
"The Navy wants to acquire 8 to 12 DD(X) ships but escalating costs have become a major concern. The Navy projects the first DD(X) will cost $3.3 billion, with an average cost of $2.6 billion per copy once the rest are built."
Note that an Arab in a rubber raft can still blow a truck-sized hole in one of these shitty little gimmick ships.
posted by Anonymous at 9:03 PM
1 Comments:
Speaking in my official capacity, and recently having visited some modern Russian and Mexican examples with the Viceroy, I strongly support a RETURN TO SAIL, to handy, fast barques, ships and barkentines.
Modern armament is almost entirely missle-based, or radar guided. These days the Navy is busy attacking Afghanistan with cruise missles and defending itself with Harpoons and Sea Sparrow systems, which work JUST AS WELL on glorious and inexpensive to operate windjammers - it is, as they say, a proven technology.
Take for example, the USS Eagle, the last commissioned windjammer on active duty for the US (the USS Constitution is right and properly in commission but while game is a little aged).
There is nothing on those DDX ships that you can't stick on a three masted barque. And for the same price, we can have about six or ten more platforms with a fraction of the cost of fuel, AND a certain stealthiness from it's lack of engine noise, and the respect and admiration of the nautical world for our sheer commitment to style.
Take the case of the USS Cole - if we'd had a full-rigged Harpoon-armed sailing ship in its place, there would have been sailors ALOFT in the course of normal duties to spot the oncoming Al-Qaida raft and take immediate action from an elevated position on the main or mizzen top.
For aviation considerations I would recommend the maintainence of the carriers, and also the submarines and landing craft, neither of which are suited for sail.
Otherwise, these gimcrack metal boxes are an embarassment.
Post a Comment
<< Home