Navy watches clock on littoral ship plan (11/22/10) -- GovExec.com
The chief of naval operations says he's confident he has support on Capitol Hill for plans to buy two versions of the service's Littoral Combat Ship, but he acknowledged that it will be a challenge to obtain congressional authorization to do so by mid-December.
The Navy announced on Nov. 3 that it wants to abandon its winner-take-all approach for the next 10 shallow-water warships and instead award a contract for 10 vessels apiece to the two competitors, Lockheed Martin and Austal USA.
But the Navy needs Congress to give it the go-ahead by Dec. 14, when the firms' current proposals for the lucrative shipbuilding contract expire.
