Zumwalt Class Destroyer: next generation or boondoggle?

[alaskaguy]

$10 billion has been spent on this program so far. Each ship is estimated to cost $3.2 billion.

They look cool:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/images/ddx_dec04_frstba_1.jpg

The Navy has decided to only build two Zumwalt Class Destroyers.

FOXNews.com - Navy Scraps Plans to Build More Than Two Stealth Destroyers - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News

But it sounds like the ship can't do all that it has been promoted to do:

http://armedservices.house.gov/pdfs/SPEF073108/McCullough_Stiller_Testimony073108.pdf

And contrary to its manufacturers design specifications cannot perform area air defense; specifically, it cannot successfully employ the Standard Missile-2 (SM-2), SM-3 or SM-6.

In other words, a Zumwalt could not go anywhere without an also-very-expensive escort to defend it.

Finally a blog, that is very critical of this of the Zumwalt:

Information Dissemination: The A-12 and The Arsenal Ship

 

[Flag Guy]

I seem to recall reading that the Navy decided not to pursue purchasing more of these beyond the 2 origional models (built by different companys) for a varriety of reasons, yet congress would not approve of buying 10 or 12 older models of destroyers insted... (This happened in the last week or two)

 

[matmann22]

How many more billions are we going to spend on creating a stealth escort for the stealth destroyer that has air defense capability ?

 

[Flag Guy]

How many more billions are we going to spend on creating a stealth escort for the stealth destroyer that has air defense capability ?

A lot I'm sure... eventually.

Question is, what will Congress fund? They recently rejected the Navy's request to re-open production lines for the previous class of warship which the Navy finds adequate for current and future needs and would be cheaper and quicker to build.

That said, they aren't fully funding the Zumwalt either... so those billions are on hold

 

[Phaedrus]

Throughout history, all our services, including our Navy, have had the devil's own time trying to figure out what technologies to pursue, build and incorporate into war-planning, and whether war-plans should be changed to adapt to new technologies.

Some of these ideas panned out, while others didn't. Some key ideas became completely worthless over time.

The entire military establishment is at a cross-roads right now as to what the heck to do and what they're supposed to be. I expect decisions like this to continue to take place, until we figure out what we really need.

Military stuff is expensive and wasteful, but nowhere as expensive and wasteful as losing a war.

 

[Transient]

I think that they decided to go with the anti-ballistic missle tech instead of the coastal combat cap.

Air Defense: Aegis Triumphant

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3654864&c=AME&s=TOP

there is also this, though not a big deal:
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3656061&c=AME&s=SEA