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Norman Polmar goes off ranting in the July edition of Proceedings about the hull numerical system being tossed around in the Navy. Example, he doesn't like that the USS Seawolf is SSN-21, nor the USS Connecticut (SSN-22) or USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23), because they intrude on the USS Barracuda (SS-21), USS Pickerel (SS-22), and USS Skate (SS-23).
His point is, the DD(X) is a DDG, not a DD, and even if it were a DD it should be DD-998 not DD-1000, but more realistically should be DDG-113, although as he says it will probably be DDG-2000. He then goes off about the LCS, which violates historical perspective regarding L-class ships established in 1968 as Amphibious ships. He wants the LCS to be FFL, which is the traditional symbol for littoral frigate, while my bet is most surface officers would like the LCS turned into the FFG(X) and armed up (requirement creep enter stage left).
As for me, I try not to care about hulls and names, but it seems to me the system does need standards. After all, Independence was the name of an aircraft carrier that served for 39 years, 9 months, and 20 days, and no slouch either. She partisipated in not only the Cuban Missile Crisis, but also Vietnam, was on standby off Crete during the 1973 Yom Kippur war, supported peacekeeping in Lebanon in the 82 and 83, and between those deployments supported Operation Urgent Fury to liberate Grenada in 83, fought in Gulf War I in 90-91, and was the first line of defense when Operation Southern Watch took effect in 1992. Now they give the name to a LCS? What?
In my opinion, the US should have 15 names reserved for Aircraft Carriers alone:
USS Enterprise
USS Hornet
USS Lexington
USS Midway
USS Independence
USS Ranger
USS Langley
USS Yorktown
USS Saratoga
USS Forrestal
USS Oriskany
USS Wasp
USS Coral Sea
USS Leyte Gulf
USS Essex
This type of system would keep politics out of names for the most important ships, if you want to name a ship after a president, Senator, Congressman, Mayor, or City Council member, use the LCS for that.
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