Time for honest answers

In 2008, the U.S. Navy received the first in a new class of ships. The Littoral Combat Ships were designed as fast-moving ships with a top speed of 40 knots and capable of working in less than 15 feet of water as in the shallow seas near coasts known as the littoral zone. The multi-purpose ships can be reconfigured with equipment and weapons packages to quickly go from shore fire support to minesweeping to air operation support for both manned helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles to a missile-launching platform.

The Navy planned to buy more than 50 Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), but events have developed that may delay or stop those purchases. The first four ships delivered to the Navy have each suffered major damage to their engine and clutch assemblies. In response, the commander of Navy Surface forces ordered a stand down of all LCS. As the Surface Warfare School conducts a review of all LCS engineering procedure, all LCS engineering personnel are undergoing retraining.

Although there has been nothing in the news regarding further action, it would not be surprising if someone in congress calls for an investigation into the design and purchase of these ships. While I am sick of seeing politically motivated congressional reviews, this situation warrants an exacting review. Ships that cannot be trusted to perform place their crews and the personnel of supported operations in jeopardy. If these ships are flawed in design that needs to be addressed before the Navy accepts any more ships.

When the issue of budget control in the Dept. of Defense (DOD) is discussed, the first thing to be reviewed should be the contract approval and the purchasing procedures within the DOD. Major expenses after new equipment, weapons, and vehicles have too often been treated as routine.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.