Gearboxes, engines and now SW leaks in the Zumwalt destroyers propulsion.
These are cutting edge ships, so issues can be expected. But, OMG, 4 billion blows me away.....Although it is normal for issues to arise during pre-commissioning tests, the incident comes after the Navy ordered an “engineering stand down” for all crews assigned to the Navy’s new Littoral Combat Ships following multiple recent engineering casualties aboard the Freedom-class LCS’. The stand down was ordered so that crews could review procedures and standards to ensure they are “fully prepared” to operate the ships safely.
GCaptainThe USS Zumwalt is rumored to have cost close to $4 billion. It is one of three planned ships in the Navy’s $22 billion, next-generation Zumwalt destroyer program.
This is a good article on the LCS class. It points at a number of issues. Engineering, small crews and what seems to be a pie in the sky approach;
we want fast
how fast?
I don't know, fast, really fast!
2 gas turbines coupled with 2 diesels through an elaborate gearbox.
and aluminum hulls!! Holy crap, if you haven't dealt with aluminum hulls, count yourself lucky. They like to corrode from the inside out and outside in.
http://breakingdefense.com/2016/09/lcs- ... le-engine/
Maybe they should have trialed one before building 4?:
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/the ... ted-01343/A US Navy announcement for an overhaul external link external link of the troubled Littoral Combat Ship program will include turning the first four ships into test vessels. The change comes after the naval branch announced an engineering stand-down for LCS crews following an August 29 engineering casualty on the USS Coronado. Under Thursday’s plan, the Freedom, Independence, Fort Worth and Coronado will become single-crewed testing ships that could be deployed as fleet assets on a limited basis, the Navy said.
It seems multi-tasking ships with modules is pretty difficult. Much more difficult then it is passed off to be.
You end up with a platform that doesn't do very well at anything maybe? Or costs a bucketful of money.