The Navy is wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on a combat ship that is cracking, flooding, rusting and can't even keep its engines running. But it's also buying an alternate version of the ship that doesn't have as many problems - and costs $12 million less per ship.
So why is the Navy still pouring taxpayer dollars into a floating lemon?
Keeping both versions of what the Navy calls the Littoral Combat Ship doesn't make sense. The two versions have vastly different designs, so people who work on one ship aren't properly trained to work on the other. This makes naval operations less flexible and more expensive. If the Navy doesn't make a choice between the two ships, they will waste at least $187 million in taxpayer dollars over the next 10 years.
This is the perfect opportunity to make the Navy set a deadline to choose between the two ships. Urge your Members of Congress to demand the Navy stop wasting taxpayer dollars.
Dear [Decision Maker],
I am a constituent concerned about the amount of money the Navy is wasting on the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. The Navy is planning to purchase these ships to engage in mine sweeping, counter submarine warfare, and surface combat. The problem is, the Navy can't make up its mind between two different versions of the LCS - so it's buying both. This decision will waste at least $187 million in taxpayer dollars over the next ten years, according to an investigation by the Project On Government Oversight (POGO).
[Your comments will be inserted here.]
The Navy recently purchased four Littoral Combat Ships - two from a team led by Lockheed Martin, and two from a team led by General Dynamics. Keeping both versions of the ship is impractical and expensive. According to the Armed Forces Journal, "With dozens of different systems on each design, sailors qualified to serve on one LCS or the other are no more qualified to serve on the other LCS class than an amphibious sailor."
The Navy needs to decide between the two ships, and soon. POGO recently released a report showing that Lockheed Martin's ship has design and equipment problems, serious cracks, and engine-related failures. When the ship was involved in a counter-drug trafficking operation - which included detaining suspected drug smugglers - the electricity on the entire ship went out, leaving it adrift. Ultimately, the Navy should make this decision - but it should strongly consider these findings.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA FY13) will come to a vote over the coming days and weeks. This represents a good opportunity to set a deadline for the Navy to cancel one version of the Littoral Combat Ship. I urge you to support efforts to stop wasting money on the LCS.
