Awesome Video: Navy’s New Multi-Mission Coastal Combat Ship in Action

[ATAG_Doc]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Etmm2TRV9X8&

[baronWastelan]

$400 million and it's an easy target for missiles. It's not exactly small and low profile to evade detection, so you can't use it to sneak up on an enemy shore installations. Anti-submarine in shallow water?

Best use I can think of is as an ambulance between shore to hospital ships for mass casualty evac.

[TomcatViP]

Lol you are a bit harsh.

Shallow watter warfare is the new frontier and many new Hybrid Diesel subs are specially designed for that battleground (were they can use their silent propulsion as an effective weapon system). This tend to deny the effectiveness of costly and technically challenging nuclear subs and this is why shallow watter warfare has become so important nowadays (with some geo-strategics consideration too).

Surprisingly the all aluminium construction was a challenge for the US Navy despite being a pioneer in that field as early as in the 19th century. A lot of knowledge had been lost with steel construction ruling the post 1973 industry.

Obviously she's not as stealthy has some early Skunk Work darkstar design but I don't think she was designed for the same mission with air dominance as a prerequisite as it seems.

Here it is more in line of the late 19th/early 20th century Canonière - eg ship that were built to strenghten colonial domination via heavy weaponry fired from large rivers with access from the sea. This were monitoring and deterence weapon. IMHO this new range of ship are in line with the same objectives (although with no colonial backgrd ) .

[*Buzzsaw*]

Salute

FY2010 budget documents revealed that the total costs of the two lead ships had risen to $637 million for Freedom and $704 million for Independence.

These ships are another example of the Military Industrial Complex going completely out of control. The building of these ships started PRIOR to the designs being finalized. Cost overruns are completely unacceptable, and value for money IS NOT THERE.

American Taxpayer is being gouged again by defence contractors who are shameless.

And no amount of 'inspirational' music behind a puff job promotional video is going to disguise that.

At this time in the US history, these ships are a shortsighted waste of money when money should not be wasted.