Blood in the water around DDG-1000

Reaping and sowing.

Top Pentagon procurement officials on Wednesday reviewed the Navy's DDG-1000 guided-missile destroyer program, but made no decisions, Defense Department spokeswoman Cheryl Irwin said.

One industry source, who asked not to be named, said he expected the Pentagon to proceed as planned in fiscal year 2008, with continued funding for the two lead ships being built by Northrop Grumman Corp. and General Dynamics Corp.

The Pentagon's Defense Acquisition Board, which oversees the purchase of major weapons systems, wanted to review work on the destroyer before the Navy can exercise contract options for construction of the two lead ships, Irwin said.

Remember, best case is we build 7-8 of these Light Cruisers (call them a row-boat if you want, at 14,264 tons (The Pocket Battleship SMS Graf Spee displaced only ~12,000 tons and was only 10 feet longer) with 6.1" guns, they ain't a Destroyer). At ~$1.5 billion per unit costs for a run of this size - with the Army and Marines being bled white - this is an easy target for the budget. There is a lot more going on in the background than this article gives away.

You can price yourself out of a fleet real fast.