October 27, 2014
Rule #1 and the Cult of Invulnerability
On the morning of December 7, 1941, the USS Arizona, with 13.5 inches of armor at her waterline, 18 inches of armor on her turrets, and watertight compartments throughout her hull, was one of the most survivable ships in the world, that today continues to rest upon the bottom of Pearl Harbor with over a thousand honored dead still onboard. The USS Cole, equipped with the Aegis defense system, represented a $1.3 billion dollar investment in survivability in today’s dollars. She was designed to defend herself and other ships around her against the latest in air, surface and subsurface threats. Yet on October 12, 2000, a small motorboat filled with explosives nearly sank the ship as she refueled in Yemen.
There is no such thing as invulnerability. Many defense investments are misplaced, but near the top of the list are the billions spent chasing the illusion that ships can take a hit in a modern, hypersonic warfare environment and keep fighting. DOD must face the unpleasant reality that we will never build an indestructible ship.
Read the full article at Information Dissemination.
More from CNAS
-
Commentary
The Defense Department cannot wait for another stress test before addressing fragility in its enterprise; it must learn and adapt now....
By Tara Murphy Dougherty & Billy Fabian
-
Commentary
One hopes Washington won’t lose another year as its competitors continue to chip away at America’s conventional overmatch....
By Robert O. Work
-
Commentary
The defense world could learn a lot from the gaming world. In some cases, it already has....
By Tom Shugart
-
Commentary
Clinging to familiar, outdated processes will provide little comfort when China surpasses the United States as the world’s foremost military power....
By Chris Dougherty