Asia Times: Outgoing Sen. Shelby & The USS Montgomery

USS Montgomery (LCS-8)

 "When the Navy decided to issue contracts to build 20 littoral combat ships in two states in 2010, it encountered stiff resistance from the then-ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, John McCain, a Republican. But Senator Richard Shelby, a Republican representing Alabama, where some of the ships were being built, slipped in an amendment that would allow the Navy to do so in a last-minute budget bill. “He made sure it happened,” a Shelby spokesman said at the time."

"Because the crews were so small, only the most elite officers and sailors were meant to sail the ships. But breakdowns meant that the ships often spent more time in port than at sea. Some sailors sought mental health assistance because of the challenges. The LCS program became known as a place where naval careers went to die."

Source: AsiaTimes.com HERE. 

Now the ship named for Alabama's Capital City is suffering from so many problems (along with other LCS ships) that the Navy is considering selling some of them to foreign (presumably friendly) navies.

From a Defense Daily.com posting:

"Notably, the Navy seeks to decommission the even-numbered Independence-variant USS Jackson (LCS-6) and Montgomery (LCS-8) in 2024, which are only nine and eight years old, respectively. The ships were originally meant to serve for 25 years and were built by Austal USA."

USS Montgomery LCS 8)