The Virgina-class USS Idaho was christened in a ceremony on March 16. - Bloomberg
Washington: The US Navy’s new Virginia-class submarines are projected to run US$17bil over their planned budget through 2030, a problem emblematic of a crisis in the programme, the House’s top lawmaker on defence spending says.
“It’s clear that the Navy and shipbuilders have known about this shortfall for at least 18 months” but “Congress was notified just two weeks ago,” Representative Ken Calvert, chairman of the House defence appropriations subcommittee, said in remarks released last Thursday before a classified hearing with Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro.
