USS Zumwalt's radical long range 'Land Attack Projectile' that can hit cities from 80 miles away scrapped after bosses found rounds will cost $800,000 EACH
- Navy says Long Range Land Attack Projectiles each cost over $800,000
- Number of Zumwalt-class warships were cut from 28 to just three
- As number of destroyers dropped, officials say projectile price has jumped
- The LRLAP is the only munition designed to be fired from the gun system
- It’s thought there will be no replacement by the time ship enters service
The US Navy’s largest and most advanced destroyer is equipped with two massive guns that can hit targets from 80 miles away – but it can’t afford the ammunition.
At $800,000 or more per round for each gun, the Navy says the cost is just too high, and is now moving to cancel these projectiles, according to a new report from Defense News.
Bosses have admitted the guns will remain silent when the ship enters service - but have pledged to develop alternative projectiles in the future.
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The US Navy’s largest destroyer is equipped with two massive guns that can hit targets from 80 miles away – but, it can’t afford the ammunition. At $800,000 or more per round for each gun, the Navy says the cost is just too high. The USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) is pictured
The Long Range Land-Attack Projectile is the only munition designed to be fired from the USS Zumwalt’s Advanced Gun System.
But, as the number of destroyers in this class dropped from the 28 initially planned to just three, subsequent price increases ‘killed the affordable round.’
This comes just weeks after the Navy commissioned the DDG 1000 Zumwalt, which, along with the two other ships in this class, will carry two of the 155mm/62-caliber guns.
These are equipped with an automated magazine and handling system, and use guided precision munitions, the Long Range Land-Attack Projectile.
According to manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the LRLAPs can ‘defeat targets in the urban canyons of coastal cities with minimal collateral damage.’
They’re the largest guns to be used on a warship since World War II and are critical to the Zumwalts’ mission as land-attack destroyers.
But, citing excessive costs upwards of $800,000 per round, the Navy made a presentation on Nov 2 to the office of the Secretary of Defense to cancel the LRLAP, Defense News reports.
The decision has yet to be signed off on, but comes as a part of the Pentagon’s annual budget process, the Program Objective Memorandum 2018 effort.
‘We were going to buy thousands of these rounds,’ a Navy official familiar with the program told Defense News.
‘But quantities of ships killed the affordable round.’
Officials say there have been no issues with the performance of the LRLAP and the AGS – price is the major barrier.
‘There is no blame on any individual,’ the official told Defense News.
'The round was working, the way forward was logical. It’s just that the cost with a three-ship buy became a very high cost.’
The ship was commissioned Oct 15 in Baltimore, Maryland, and faces another 18 months of shipyard work in San Diego to complete installation of the combat system
The DDG 1000 Zumwalt, along with the two other ships in this class, will carry two of the 155mm/62-caliber guns. These are equipped with an automated magazine and handling system, and use guided precision munitions, the Long Range Land-Attack Projectile
The Long Range Land-Attack Projectile is the only munition designed to be fired from the USS Zumwalt’s Advanced Gun System, but as the number of destroyers in this class dropped from the 28 initially planned to just three, subsequent price increases ‘killed the affordable round’
And according to the Navy official, the $800,000 price tag may even be the low end on the range of the system's actual cost, though there’s no sense of ‘overcharging or anything.’
It is now thought that there will not be a replacement for the LRLAP by the time the Zumwalt enters operational service.
In 2018, it will undergo a series of combat Systems Ship Qualifications Trials (CCSQT) to put its sensors and weapons to the test.
And, there are plans to fire the guns during these trials, as the 2015 budget provided $113 million for 150 rounds and other items, Defense News reports.
The AGS is suited to hold 300 LRAPS, and the Navy will have to make both software and, most likely, sizing adjustments to incorporate a different type of ammunition.
The ship was commissioned Oct 15 in Baltimore, Maryland, and faces another 18 months of shipyard work in San Diego to complete installation of the combat system.
While the Navy has not directly commented on the issue, Capt. Thurraya Kent, a spokesperson for the service’s acquisition directorate told Defense News via email:
‘The Navy continuously monitors the gun and ammunition industry capability and capacities.
‘To address evolving threats and mission requirements, the Navy is evaluating industry projectile solutions (including conventional and hyper-velocity projectiles) that can also meet the DDG 1000 deployment schedule and could potentially be used as an alternative to LRAP for DDG 1000.’
The ship was commissioned Oct 15 in Baltimore, Maryland, and faces another 18 months of shipyard work in San Diego to complete installation of the combat system.
While the Navy has not directly commented on the issue, Capt. Thurraya Kent, a spokesperson for the service’s acquisition directorate told Defense News via email: ‘The Navy continuously monitors the gun and ammunition industry capability and capacities.
‘To address evolving threats and mission requirements, the Navy is evaluating industry projectile solutions (including conventional and hyper-velocity projectiles) that can also meet the DDG 1000 deployment schedule and could potentially be used as an alternative to LRAP for DDG 1000.’
In 2018, it will undergo a series of combat Systems Ship Qualifications Trials (CCSQT) to put its sensors and weapons to the test. And, there are plans to fire the guns during these trials, as the 2015 budget provided $113 million for 150 rounds and other items
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