We Need To Strongly Consider the Vision...

This is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read, and I'm not even sure I believe it is true or being used in the proper context. Navy Times is covering the complaints of the Maine mafia, who by the way have every right to be mad and concerned. Bath Iron Works is unquestionably critical to shipbuilding, but they should have been waving the red flag on $3.6 billion ships (and we all know they would be much higher) from the beginning. Sailing down a dream is for Disneyland, not the shipbuilding industry, and both Bath and the Senators knew better.

This comment is just golden in its stupidity, naturally said by a politician.

Skelton could overturn the changes made by Taylor’s subcommittee, but according to a report in the Times Record newspaper of Bath, Skelton said during a March visit to Bath Iron Works that “he was inclined to leave shipbuilding decisions to the subcommittee.”

Snowe referred to Skelton’s visit in an announcement on Friday, in which she encouraged Skelton to “strongly consider the vision and advice of the Navy’s top admiral” — Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, who visited Bath Iron Works in January and, as Snowe put it, “underscored the absolute necessity” of the third ship.

What does the vision of a fleet with destroyers that cost between $3.6 and lets just say $6.6 billion dollars look like? Well, first of all it means a fleet too small to support Bath Iron Works for much longer, numbering somewhere around 220 ships, on a good year. Second it will be too big to effectively handle the war we are in, and preparing for which war in the future again? Clearly we will not be looking for NSFS in a war against any major peer competitors, unless Admiral Roughead's vision includes an amphibious assault against China! Doubt it.

What exactly is this vision that Olympia Snowe is talking about? Lets build a destroyer designed with the desires following the Gulf War, a surface ship ready to lob cruise missiles and AGS shells on an approaching armored division attacking another country. A "stealth" ship with a composite deck house that is all of 14,500 tons, the largest surface warship in the world with the exception of the old Russian Kirov class.

Someone please explain the vision of the DDG-1000. Are we really building the ship to bring stealth to sea in our naval operations against countries like Kosovo, Iraq, Somalia, or Haiti? I can't figure out the vision here, the DDG-1000 offers no advantage over other modernized AEGIS ships in major war, unless this 'vision' is for the DDG-1000 to operate off the littorals of a major power relying solely on its stealth for defense, not likely. The ship offers no new advantages in small wars either, and for strike three the costs are absolutely enormous.

What Vision? Olympia Snowe pull your head out of your ass and you might get a better understanding of vision. Bath has been sailing down a dream with the Zumwalt, that has not been to your advantage. A real vision for Bath includes building new frigates, a ship that can be mass produced anytime over the next several decades in large numbers under the strains of a constrained shipbuilding budget. Want to execute vision for Bath? Demand a frigate while your still elected, because your lack of vision regarding a future option for your shipyard might mean your "elected" days are dwindling.