DD(X) program sails ahead

[Torpedo Fodder]

Originally Posted by [url=http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=businessNews&storyID=2005-11-23T225553Z_01_SIB364778_RTRUKOC_0_US-ARMS-DESTROYER.xml

Reuters[/url]]New U.S. DD(X) destroyer sails ahead
Wed Nov 23, 2005 5:56 PM ET173

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon will order an initial eight highly-automated DD(X) destroyers being developed by Northrop Grumman Corp. and General Dynamics as the centerpiece of the U.S. Navy's 21st century fleet, a defense official said on Wednesday.

Ending speculation the ship might be killed, the Defense Department cleared a plan to let both Los Angeles-based Northrop and General Dynamics, Falls Church, Virginia, each go ahead with detailed design work, the Pentagon said.

The chief U.S. weapons buyer, Kenneth Krieg, also approved "low rate initial production" of eight ships after a meeting on Tuesday of the Defense Acquisition Board, which considers major weapons systems, said the defense official who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak about the matter.

He estimated the value of the eight ships at $20 billion.

The DD(X) will have substantially lower radar and acoustic "signatures" -- making it harder for an enemy to find and hit -- and be highly automated to cut crew size by more than half compared with current destroyer levels.

It will incorporate new technologies that also would be used in a new aircraft carrier and a new cruiser. The Navy hopes the first DD(X) will be delivered in 2012.

Cheryl Irwin, a Pentagon spokeswoman, confirmed that Krieg had cleared the program to enter a big-money phase known as "system development and demonstration." But she said she had no information on the number of ships to be built.

No construction contracts would be awarded until a further session of the acquisition board, the defense official said, citing a memorandum from Krieg that was not made public.

TWIN BUILDING PROJECTS

Navy officials said Krieg had cleared a Navy request to start the acquisition program with a "dual lead ship" strategy using fiscal 2007 funds.

According to this Northrop and General Dynamics each will build a ship of its own to meet requirements set by the Pentagon and the Navy, Navy spokesman Lt. John Gay said. On completion, the Navy will recommend whether to continue splitting the construction or go with one of the two yards.

Such a decision may be made in 2008 or 2009, said the defense official. Each of the two initial ships to be built -- one by each yard -- is projected to cost $3.3 billion. The Navy hopes to drive down the price of future ships to $2.2 billion.

Krieg gave the go-ahead after a "Milestone B" review -- the decision on whether to let DD(X) advance despite expected delays or cuts in other big-ticket weapons programs as the United States copes with war costs, a growing deficit and hurricane relief, among other headaches.

Key senators had blocked the Navy's earlier-proposed "winner-take-all" approach to building DD(X), which it said would cost less, on the ground it likely would knock the losing company out of the business of building surface warships.

The Pentagon's DD(X) decision "takes us through a critical threshold," said Randy Belote, a spokesman for Northrop, which would build its version of the ship at its Pascagoula, Mississippi, shipyard.

General Dynamics, which would build at its Bath Iron Works yard in Bath, Maine, had no immediate comment.

Northrop shares fell 16 cents on Wednesday to close at $56.49 on the New York Stock Exchange. General Dynamics's shares rose 2 cents to $116.16.

Good news indeed. I was afraid it was going to be canned, or at least have procurement limited to the point of uselessness. That could still happen down the road of course, but this is still a good development.

[Kapitan]

can they even afford them?

they might barrel out on the last arliegh burkes and i think they need to focus mainly on frigates now they have some what neglected them for about decade and half

DDX a good design but realy is it the cost worth it?

[Camaero]

Glad to see this. Should be interesting come 2012 to see those bad boys!

[Kiwi Zero Six]

Is this the ship the Chinese recently obtained a lot of classified info about?

[Hellcat]

I was under the impression that the DDX program was going to be canned. To me it seems to make more sense to make another interim design rather than jump form the Bruke's right to a "X" design....

[Torpedo Fodder]

Originally Posted by Kapitain

they might barrel out on the last arliegh burkes and i think they need to focus mainly on frigates now they have some what neglected them for about decade and half

Well the Flight IIA burkes have a pretty good sonar suite plus helicopters. Throw in the new version of the ASROC that can be launched from the Mk. 41 VLS, and the Burkes should be able to effectivly fill the role of the frigates as well. Besides, the DD(X) is supposed to directly replace not on the Spruance class DDs, but the OH Perry FFGs as well, and as such it will have a sophisticated sonar suite and helicopter hangar.

DDX a good design but realy is it the cost worth it?

For one thing, the US Navy needs a ship that can provide effective shore bombardment capabilities. The DD(X) is the only ship in development that offers that. Still, given the $3 billion per hull price tag, they're probably not going to buy that many.

[Etienne]

The price tag should come down once the ship goes into production. R&D costs are being factored in the first few units.

[Kapitan]

The price tag should come down once the ship goes into production

thats what they said about the:

seawolf virginia trafalgar astute arliegh burke erm just about everything

seawolf started at $1bn per boat the jimmy carter cost $1.3bn

astute started at £850m and now is around £1.1bn

i doubt the cost will go down it will probly go up

[PeriscopeDepth]

I agree with Kap.

What did the F-22 cost in the early 1990s?

We need to seriously start working harder on producing cheaper stuff IMO.

[Torpedo Fodder]

Originally Posted by Kapitain

thats what they said about the:seawolf virginia trafalgar astute arliegh burke erm just about everything

Well for one example, the Burke's per-unit costs have in fact gone down. One Burke can now be had for a "mere" $850 million, where it's cost was once over $1 billion. This is because so damn many of them have been built. Most of the other items you mentioned had or will have very small production runs; the only possible exception being the Virginia, but it's still possible Congress will have production halted before too many of them are built.

seawolf started at $1bn per boat the jimmy carter cost $1.3bn

Only 3 were built; if they had built the 30 they originally planned to, the per-unit costs would be much lower. And it's no surprise that Jimmy Carter costs more than the other two, given it's larger hull and all the unique "special" equipment it has on board.

astute started at £850m and now is around £1.1bn

The Astute hasn't even entered production yet, so that's hardly the same

[lesrae]

Originally Posted by Torpedo Fodder

The Astute hasn't even entered production yet, so that's hardly the same

Sorry to nit-pick, but that's not strictly true: http://www.mod.uk/dpa/news/pn2005/mar05/keelsub.htm

[Kapitan]

astute been in the build for about 2 years now and they planning on laying down the fourth unit next year