DoD Certifies LPD-17 Program

The LPD-17 Amphibious Transport Dock Ship program is one of six acquisition projects the Defense Department recently certified to Congress under the Nunn-McCurdy Law. The certification allows the programs to move forward, said Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Pete Aldridge, during a press roundtable May 2. The LPD-17, a program of Naval Sea Systems Command's Program Executive Office for Expeditionary Warfare, is a new class of amphibious transport dock ship incorporating advanced performance and warfighting technologies that will enhance the amphibious fleet's operational flexibility.

There are four ships under contract leading to a 12-ship buy. "Ninety-five percent of the design has been completed," Aldridge said. "Most of the problems are behind us." The Nunn-McCurdy Law requires the Secretary of Defense to certify that programs with a 25 percent cost increase are necessary for national security. It also mandates the department put controls in place to get costs under control. Programs not certified are canceled. According to Aldridge, certification is based on whether the program is essential for national security, the availability of an equally capable, lower-cost alternative, cost control and if management is in place to keep spending under control. The other certified programs include the H-1 helicopter; the CH-47 Chinook helicopter, the chemical demilitarization program, the Multiple-Launch Rocket System upgrade program, and the Space-based Infrared System-High. Source: NAVSEA News Wire