“This new class of ship is exactly the opposite of what the Navy needs,” a senior fellow and director of military analysis at Defense Priorities, Jennifer Kavanagh, tells The New York Sun. “At worst, it will be irrelevant and useless in a future war. At best, it will be an attractive and easy target for adversary missiles in a future war.”
“As described, it is too big, too slow, too expensive, and relies on unproven technologies,” Ms. Kavanagh said. “If the Navy wants to spend this kind of money on exquisite capabilities, it should focus on nuclear submarines, which are more versatile and survivable.”
“This is just one of the unproven technologies that the new class of ship will rely on,” Ms. Kavanagh said. “Many won’t reach maturity, and integrating those that do will be another challenge. It’s likely the Navy will have to abandon the railgun a second time after wasting more money on it.”
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