Pentagon may SCRAP $3.5 billion state-of-the-art warship that was tipped to transform US Navy fleet (...despite having already built half of it) 

  • USS Lyndon B Johnson is the third and final Zumwalt-class destroyer 
  • It is 41% complete but may be scrapped as US Navy writes 2017 budget
  • However, lawmakers rejected Navy's bid in 2009 to just make two ships  
  • All three multimission ships designed to propel missiles up to 100 miles 

By Mia De Graaf For Dailymail.com

Published: 01:05 EST, 15 September 2015 | Updated: 03:18 EST, 15 September 2015

The Pentagon may scrap a $3.5 billion warship despite having already built half of it.

In a shock turnaround, the USS Lyndon B Johnson may be dropped from production in just a few weeks as the Defense Department tightens its purse strings.

It would be an embarrassing anti-climax for the Pentagon after years of hype surrounding the third and final Zumwalt-class destroyer which is 41 per cent complete and was tipped to transform the US Navy’s fleet.

The USS Lyndon B Johnson may be dropped from production in just a few weeks as the Defense Department tightens its purse strings. It was the third Zumwalt-class ship in a $22bn project. Pictured: the first ship

The USS Lyndon B Johnson may be dropped from production in just a few weeks as the Defense Department tightens its purse strings. It was the third Zumwalt-class ship in a $22bn project. Pictured: the first ship

Collectively, the three Zumwalts constructed by Bath Iron Works at the General Dynamics shipyard in Maine were slated to cost around $22 billion – a figure which easily floated through Congress.

That was already a markdown: the initial proposal was for 32 multimission fleets before budget constraints forced the number down to 24 then seven then three.

However, according to sources cited by Bloomberg News, officials are panicking since the procurement cost has swelled by 37 per cent since 2009 to $12.3 billion. As the Navy outlines its 2017 budget, they worry it won't be worth it.

A team will now work to determine ‘in the next few weeks’ whether cutting the project will be enough to save some of those funds.

All three Zumwalts, powered by gas turbines, were designed to propel missiles 70-100 miles inland.

They dwarf almost any other warship, but only requires a small crew (of 147 rather than 300) to operate the automation systems. 

Endorsing the project in 2012, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, said: 'With its stealth, incredibly capable sonar system, strike capability and lower manning requirements - this is our future.'

Endorsing the project in 2012, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, said: 'With its stealth, incredibly capable sonar system, strike capability and lower manning requirements - this is our future'

Endorsing the project in 2012, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations, said: 'With its stealth, incredibly capable sonar system, strike capability and lower manning requirements - this is our future'

It seems, however, the future may look a bit different.

An internal review seen by Bloomberg found concerns about strained relations between BIW and the Navy, aggravating the process.

But in 2009, the Navy's bid to make just two Zumwalts was rejected.  

'The shipbuilding budget is well supported in Congress, but the Navy does face a spending squeeze from 2020 as work ramps up,' said Robert Stallard, RBC Capital Markets defense analyst, according to Bloomberg News.

He adds that the Navy would undoubtedly save money by cutting the project, although that figure could be nominal as it would drive up the cost of the remaining two ships. 

 

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