In a scene reminiscent of the film “Groundhog Day,” the U.S. Navy has canceled the Constellation-class frigate program, with only the first two ships, which are already under construction, scheduled for completion.
The program was terminated due to production delays, escalating costs, and design challenges stemming from adapting a foreign design to meet U.S. requirements. The funds from the canceled frigates will be reallocated to other ships that can be produced more quickly.
The Constellation-class frigate program was intended to be a “low-risk” approach, basically a slam-dunk to building a new frigate, but it underwent significant changes to its Italian FREMM-based design, making it heavier, more expensive, and less aligned with its original blueprints.
18 Comments
favoredponcho@lemmy.zip · 45 pts · 262d
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 262d
Yep, eerily similar. It's not even clear what these ships are supposed to do well.
pentastarm@piefed.ca · 41 pts · 262d
Nah, Kegseth just needed more booze money.
Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 25 pts · 262d
I'm pretty sure that's just the inevitable consequence of decades of under-regulated capitalism and cronyism letting the arms dealers set their own prices and conditions.
Personally, I consider the most bloated military in the history of the world not being able to expand or even replace its flotilla a huge win though, regardless of the reasons 🤷
gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works · 16 pts · 262d
This is such an incredibly dumb decision. This was going to be the direction the navy went in - more vessels that are capable in aggregate, but no single one as too big of a target. Datalink handoff. Sensor fusion.
But they’re probably gonna make a new class of battleship or something idiotically obsolete like that.
Cocodapuf@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 262d
Sure, you know everyone's favorite ship, the aircraft carrier, well wait till you meet the drone carrier! It's just as big for some reason, but it mostly carries drones and guided missiles and it probably sails alongside a traditional carrier, because it can't actually perform all of the same duties. This is how we'll be able to spend more than ever before.
jj4211@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 261d
They'll start down that path, spend billions on starting up the program, then a new president comes in and cancels that to return to the smaller ship philosophy and spends billions to start down that path again.
jj4211@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 261d
commander@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 262d
Let's see if the coast guard is happy with the new patrol ship once one of those are finished. If the coast guard fails too, pretty entertaining incompetence
arin@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 262d
Export more manufacturing industries
mx_smith@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 262d
If they built the amphibious assault ships to look like this, then they could fill them with Cybertrucks and anytime the US invaded a country it would be horrific and comical at the same time.
SabinStargem@lemmy.today · 10 pts · 262d
Now playing in Venezuela: "The Bay of Cyberpigs".
nebajoth@piefed.ca · 7 pts · 262d
I do wonder what the advent of drone warfare, including the marine drones used in the black sea against Russia, and the Taiwanese investment in drones for defense against China, has done to impact the outlook and priorities of the US Navy. It may very well be that it has changed the assessment of whether to purchase large expensive ships.
IronBird@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 262d
don't worry, they'll spend that $ somewhere for sure
nebajoth@piefed.ca · 5 pts · 262d
Oh I'm not worried about that. I'm sure they will find more modern ways to murder.
Nomorereddit@lemmy.today · 7 pts · 262d
Good. Hope they stop building death ships all together and are forced to have bake sales for more.
melsaskca@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 262d
Maybe they could use the boat materials to build some sort of arch. A triumphant arch.
hume_lemmy@lemmy.ca · 4 pts · 261d
DOUBLE arches, in keeping with the administration.
scaredoftrumpwinning@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 262d
sounds like things remain the same: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pentagon_Wars
zjti8eit@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 262d
Sounds like may every engineering project I've worked on.