CLASSFIED - FYBSEO*
Above is a 5-inch Extended Range Guided Munition (ERGM) [A]. The ERGM Program was prudently terminated by the US in 2008. But earlier, in 2005, the US imprudently commenced an ERGM replacement program (known as the 6-inch Long Range Land-Attack Projectile (LRLAP). Now (in 2016) the LRLAP may be history.
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(VLADIVOSTOCK) This weeks’ Zumwalt-class, LRLAP naval gun, $800,000 per round fiasco, has triggered vodka soaked rejoicing in Mother Russia. Agent “Igor” [B] confidentially reports Russia has cancelled its own decade long Long Range Land-Attack Projectile (LRLAP)-ski program on the strength of this latest capitalist balls-up.
Decades after the US:
1. developed precision guided-missile-destroyers, and
2. phased out effective large Iowa-class (16-inch, 406 mm) guns and completed since WWII heavy
cruisers' 8-inch (203 mm) guns.
The US chose to throw many $Billions at:
3. precision guided shells, and
4. extremely specialised, high risk, new technology, guns and special Zumwalt destroyer electrical
systems, to fire them.
1. developed precision guided-missile-destroyers, and
2. phased out effective large Iowa-class (16-inch, 406 mm) guns and completed since WWII heavy
cruisers' 8-inch (203 mm) guns.
The US chose to throw many $Billions at:
3. precision guided shells, and
4. extremely specialised, high risk, new technology, guns and special Zumwalt destroyer electrical
systems, to fire them.
Confirming an alternate reality planning approach, the "Advanced" Gun System on the Zumwalt [C] class destroyers is only designed to fire LRLAP shells. The fewer the Zumwalts (declining from 28 planned to 3) the higher the unit cost of the LRLAPs.
The cost of one LRLAP Round (after all) is influenced by:
1. huge research costs
2. high, limited quantity, production costs
3. high electronics handling and maintenance costs (compared to "dumb" rounds) when in ship's
magazine
4. all inflated by the political package of Zumwalt+gun+LRLAP being "too big to fail".
1. huge research costs
2. high, limited quantity, production costs
3. high electronics handling and maintenance costs (compared to "dumb" rounds) when in ship's
magazine
4. all inflated by the political package of Zumwalt+gun+LRLAP being "too big to fail".
The Zumwalt, in 2018, is likely to be commissioned with no ammunition for its $Billion dollar guns.
PLEASE CONNECT WITH:
[C] In a rare posthumous move Admiral Elmo Zumwalt has distanced himself from LRLAP lapping.
* This report has been provided to long suffering Program Managers' FYBSEO
(for your bloodshot eyes only).
Pete