Hagel expands on LCS concerns

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said his "considerable reservations" about the Littoral Combat Ship led him to bar planning for any more than 32 ships, 20 fewer than the Navy's program. "I have considerable reservations as to whether this is what our Navy will require over the next few decades," Hagel said in a memorandum to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. The document was obtained by Bloomberg News. Questions have been raised about the ship's cost and survivability in high-intensity combat. The ships are lightly armed and intended to operate in shallow coastal waters. One variant is made in Marietta, Wis., by Lockheed Martin and the other in Mobile, Ala., by Austal USA. (Source: Bloomberg, 02/26/14)