U.S. Navy Buys $800K Per-Round Projectiles For Its $4 Billion WarshipBy Nicholas West The Navys USS Zumwalt is the lead player in a projected fleet of thirty-two, 610-foot warships that is the largest and most technologically sophisticated destroyer ever produced. At least that is prevailing tagline, and it certainly looks spiffy in the video below. However, in reality, the USS Zumwalt arrived into the hands of the Navy many years late and carrying a price tag of $4.4 billion with a reduced fleet now entailing just three ships. Three and the other two are still in development. Emphasis added: The original concept for the land-attack destroyer was floated more than 15 years ago then underwent several permutations. The final design called for a destroyer with a stealthy shape and advanced gun system that can fire rocket-propelled projectiles with pinpoint accuracy. The slow-going and rising costs were little surprise after the General Accounting Office warned that the Navy was trying to incorporate too many new technologies into the ship. (Source: Associated Press) [emphasis added] Despite having little surprise over the wastefulness and ineptitude of the entire program thus far, it actually gets even worse. A super-high-tech-cutting-edge war machine cant just sit idle for photo ops. It has to be outfitted with projectiles to be directed by its state-of-the-art delivery system. For this task, the Navy sought the expertise of mega defense contractor, Lockheed Martin. But, wait, isnt that the same Lockheed Martin that gave the American people the F-35? Looks like Lockheed is nothing if not consistent: The GPS-guided, rocket-powered projectiles developed for the new 155mm Advanced Gun System currently cost about $800,000 apiece, nearly as much as a cruise missile, making them too expensive for the Navy to buy in large quantities for the stealthy USS Zumwalt, according to officials. The projectiles were supposed to be less expensive than missiles, providing a cost-effective way to pummel targets from 70 miles away, clearing a path for amphibious landings. But the current price compares with $1 million for a cruise missile, which has a range of 1,000 miles. And the price is expected to grow, officials said. For now, there are no plans to buy projectiles beyond the initial purchase of 90, according to the Navys draft 2018 budget. The Zumwalt is supposed to be stocked with 600. Its stunning news for a program plagued by growing costs. Congress is going to want to know how the Navy could get so far down the road without realizing that the price tag on these projectiles is so high, said Loren Thompson, defense analyst at the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Virginia. . Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin, which developed the 155mm projectiles, blamed the low production rate of ships only three are being built, compared with the 32 originally envisioned for driving up costs of the guided munitions. The defense contractor is working with the Navy with options, a spokeswoman said. (Source) [emphasis added] Oops, didnt see that coming. Truly stunning news. No, the stunning news is that the boundaries of the defense industrys hubris are only expanding despite these documented outrages against the wallets of current and future generations. Stunning, too, that so many Americans would rather take to the streets to protest the results of an election between two despised candidates, rather than demand an end to a system that robs them blind and will never view peace as a profitable solution. Image Credit: Anthony Freda Art Nicholas West writes for selfnewsPost.com. This article may be freely shared in part or in full with author attribution and source link. Another over priced piece of junk. Russia, China India and Brazil all have anti ship cruise missiles that cost a fraction of that rust bucket and can send it to the bottom of the ocean And will. Drain the swamp. Just think of what that money could be used forfree basic college, infrastructure repair, free basic health care, etc. You know, civilized priorities, not military/indusrial ones. Hmmm And as the Falklands was so aptly demonstrated, all it takes a couple of air to surface anti ship missiles to take out a Destroyer or Frigate. There is no known defense against Russias new blistering fast Zircon antiship missile. Let alone there super high speed torpedoes. In a real all out war, surface shipping of all kinds will be some of the first casualties. In particular will be the carrier groups which will be destroyed in first salvos. And if it starts out nuclear then the life expectancy of the US Navys battle groups will be measured in minutes. This ship is a testament everything that is wrong with the US military in general, and their weapons procurement programs in particular. What we should be doing is arresting the senior military and civilians in charge of this program as well as every member of Congress that voted for it and sentence them to hang for treason. The great military industrial perpetual war machines have no cash boundaries and is the mercenary tool of the goat worshipers. BTW: Trump was very popular and not despised at all. He would easily have 30,000 at his rallies, 130,000 watching a single live feed and no rock stars. Witch Bon Jovi really surprised me. He must have been paid 10x his asking price to play for the dems candidate. The stupid thing will probably sink in a rough sea. Seriously. 