'Why No One Believes the Navy'

It's an open secret in Washington that the Navy's ship-building plans are -- oh, how to put this delicately? -- complete and utter bullshit. The 30-year, 313-ship project relies on, among other things, doubling the country's maritime construction budget, to $25 billion per year -- which most observers believe is about as likely as the tooth fairy taking command of one of the ships. "There's a tendency towards magical thinking," one well-placed analyst once told me about the plan. "Or maybe people are just lying, in hopes that some part of it will happen."

And that's not the Navy leadership's only credibility problem. Navy Secretary Donald Winter has tried to inject a little realism back into the service's planning process. But across the board, people are questioning the veracity of the Navy senior civilian and uniformed chiefs,* Defense News' *Christopher Cavas writes:

When U.S. Navy officials tell Congress they have confidence in their shipbuilding cost projections, lawmakers don't believe them.

When flag officers say they've got enough money for maintenance, fleet sailors wonder why high-tech warships aren't combat ready.

When top admirals say they have a new maritime strategy, analysts struggle to match it with the shipbuilding plan.

When business strategies override operational needs, officers wonder if they're war fighters or executives.

Navy leaders are suffering from a credibility gap - with Congress, with industry and, increasingly, with the fleet.

Check out "Why No One Believes the Navy." And get ready for part two of Cavas' takedown, scheduled for Monday.