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Fighting ships of the naval forces of the United States coastal zone have repeatedly provoked critical comments of skeptics associated with enormous cost, budget overruns and common technical breakdowns. Now matters more, since the naval commanders decided to withdraw from operating 4 ships. This is surprising, as the ships served only for two or three years.
For example, the USS St. Louis was commissioned in August 2020, but the Navy want to withdraw it from use in September 2023, immediately after the vehicle is three years old. For vehicle three years time. But the budget of the U.S. Navy in 2023 financial year provides for the decommissioning of 9 from littoral combat ship Freedom variant, which face problems with engines. These ships are also one of the most modern in the U.S. Navy. Four ships were commissioned in the period from 2019 to the present.
While the Congress of the United States prohibits the cancellation of the ships of the Freedom of the coastal zone. But the Navy is in a quandary. To cancel the Navy can't serve them becomes increasingly difficult. The chief of naval operations Admiral Michael Gilday proposed to transfer or sell the ships to the countries of South America.
Now the US Navy's idea – to preserve 4 such warships. And then their fate will be resolved in accordance with the specific situation and circumstances. Through conservation warships are going to save about $ 3.6 billion for repairs and modernization. In total, the us Navy is going in 2023 incapacitate 24 of the ship.
The Minister of the naval forces of the United States, Carlos Del Toro, speaking before Congress, explained the necessity of preservation of ships in that they are unable to perform tasks against submarines. They were designed for more than fifteen years ago, and they no longer meet modern challenges, the Minister said. But four ships of this type are currently under construction that will be with them, is unclear.
Military expert, captain Navy, retired Jan van Tol calls littoral combat ships "the problem of sunk costs." Navy spend a lot of money on ships of this type. But to improve them does not work. The task is complicated by the fact that the new ships, cancellation will cause protests congressmen. Senator Roger Wicker, for example, believes that the littoral combat ships may play an important role in the operations of the U.S. Navy.
According to Wicker, they could be used for containment of China in East Asia. Cancellation combat-ready ships Senator calls a waste of taxpayer dollars. In his opinion, the US cannot afford a reduction of the naval forces in the face of the rise of China and the recent increase capacity of its own Navy. A similar view is shared by a member of the house of representatives from Virginia Elaine Luria.
But there is an alternative point of view, close to the position command of the naval forces of the United States. A member of the house of representatives Jackie Speyer believes that such ships are very expensive. Therefore, it is better to remove from the budget of the United States the burden.
