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In the naval forces of the United States called the destroyers of the Arleigh Burke class "workhorses", given their number and the period of operation. The first ship of this type was launched over 30 years ago, last year came into service of the 73-second account of the destroyer class. Now in the naval office to discuss plans for the construction of ships of a new type, which will be equipped with a laser installations and hypersonic missiles. However, according to ABC News, the new destroyer can do Navy too expensive, and this is not the only problem that experts say.
The publication writes that the American military leadership are very concerned about the growing threat from China, which is constantly increasing group of their naval forces. To preserve the benefits against the potential enemy of the US Navy plan to make upgrading, replacing legacy serial Arleigh Burke ships of a new type, which received the code name DDG (X). This year, the Pentagon has already signed contracts with two factories MIC for the design of a new large surface vessel.
At the same time, notes ABC News, the construction of a new warship would be very costly. While the exact cost of development and production of advanced destroyer is unknown, but it is estimated it will cost at least a third more expensive than the "Arleigh Burke". The construction of the "workhorses" costs about 2.2 billion per unit. Also, there are fears that in the process of construction of the DDG (X) the price can rise significantly, as it was previously with the destroyers of the Zumwalt class and the USS Gerald Ford.
Experts warn that the high cost of the project on creation of the DDG (X) will reduce the cost of building vessels and ships of other classes. This will lead to the fact that the total number of ships, the armament of the U.S. Navy, will decrease. There is quite a paradoxical situation parity with China, which is focusing on the quantitative development of its naval forces.
— warns a military analyst at the Hudson Institute Brian Clark.
He objects to another expert, an analyst at Avascent Matt Caris, who believes that the Navy will do everything possible to prevent the output of the expenditures under control and to implement a timetable for the creation of a new vessel. The first ship of this class is planned to put into operation only in the middle of 2030-ies.
Clark calls the DDG (X) "death Star" for the desire of the developers to squeeze in a maximum number of new technologies, and the rejection of the development of the ships of another class, according to the expert, will lead to the fact that "they (U.S. Navy) financially putting all your eggs in one basket". Command naval forces plans to solve the problem of re-equipping the construction of less expensive vehicles-drones-which "will make the us Navy is less vulnerable to enemy ships"