U.S. Navy officials defend plan to scrap destroyer

By Andrea Shalal-Esa

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top U.S. Navy officials on Thursday defended a plan to scrap the DDG-1000 destroyer after spending $13 billion (6.5 billion pounds) on the program, saying it would cost too much to upgrade the ship to face changed military threats.

The Navy last week said it would truncate the DDG-1000 program after construction of just two ships, opting instead to buy another eight older-model DDG-51 destroyers instead.

General Dynamics, which has a large shipyard in Maine, and Northrop Grumman, with its Mississippi facility, are under contract to build the first two DDG-1000 destroyers. The two companies also build the DDG-51 warship.

"The greatest single threat is the proliferation of advanced ballistic missiles, followed by a burgeoning deep water, quiet diesel submarine capability by potential adversaries," Vice Adm. Barry McCullough, deputy chief of naval operations, told a hearing held by House Armed Services seapower subcommittee.

"The DDG-51 presents more capability in these areas than does the DDG-1000," he said, adding, "Modifying the DDG-1000s to address these missions is unaffordable."

McCullough said the Marine Corps supported the decision to halt the DDG-1000, a $29 billion program aimed at providing surface fire support for Marines from areas near shore, since those needs could now be met by sea-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, which can hit targets up to 900 miles away, and more precise satellite-guided munitions launched from aircraft.

Now, he said, the Navy was very concerned by efforts by some nations to develop quiet, diesel-powered submarines, and the use by Lebanon's Hezbollah of Iranian cruise missiles against ships during the 2006 war with Israel.

McCullough said the Navy had done a thorough analysis that supported its reversal on the DDG-1000 program, but he said some aspects were classified and he could not elaborate.