The Navy's Laser Show

News article here.

"One of the things that amazes me about this business is that the future is getting closer every day," [Rear Adm. Nevin] Carr said.

We need a new discussion when it comes to Navy ships. For years everyone has focused on the weapon system of the ship - example LCS. The conversation desperately needs to shift so the discussion is hull, mechanical, and engineering with a focus on power distribution. If the DDG-51 Flight III isn't ready to field the 3rd generation FEL model we are currently working on, DDG-51 Flight III is the wrong platform for the AMDR.

Congress must get their head around this, because spending $20 billion on ships that won't be able to field the technologies of war a decade after they are built would be an enormous waste of money. Ironic, the Navy doesn't want to build a new design because they don't want to make the case for nuclear power - and yet power is starting to look like the most desired aspect of a combat ship by 2030.