WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Originally the Navy expected the program to deliver 44 sea-frames of LCS vessels averaging $220 million in cost, but instead it had to settle for only 40 sea-frames costing $478 million each, according to the report.
"Cost, schedule, and capability expectations have eroded over time," the report stated on Thursday. "[T]he Navy attributed a series of engineering casualties on delivered LCS to shortfalls in crew training, sea-frame design, and construction quality."
8 December 2016, 16:15 GMT
The cost is more than double the earlier projected cost per unit, the GAO added.
Each ship was supposed to have a sprint speed of 40-50 knots, and a range of 1,000 nautical miles cruising at 40 knots.
However, neither sea-frame design met those combined original speed and range expectations, the report said.
