Bracketed Airbus Ponders the A350-8000

Airbus thinks to offer a super jumbo Twin engine duo aisle aircraft because it finds itself bracketed by Boeing up and down the Twin Aisle battle. Bracketing fire is an old war term where artillery targeting follows towards an ultimate target with successive rounds walking forward until it destroys its intended goal. One round goes long then one goes short in a sequence until a round lands just right.

Bracketing definition:

(*) A method of adjusting fire in which a bracket is established by obtaining an over and a short along the spotting line, and then successively splitting the bracket in half until a target hit or desired bracket is obtained.

Airbus has found itself in a countering position by reacting against what Boeing has positioned itself, in the duo aisle twin engine battle. The first round by Boeing was the 787-8 and Airbus tried a counter with its A350-800. Boeing production has blown the A350-800 out of the water with only 16 of Airbus A350-800's on the books and none built. Boeing then rolled out the 787-9 bracketing against the Airbus A350-900. It has been been an equal order book match with Airbus, as it hold a slight lead with its A350-900 over the 787-9. Then comes the A350-1000 not yet built against the not yet built 787-10 with similar sales amounts. Boeing has now bracketed Airbus into a corner.

Boeing didn't stop at the 787-10, it proceeded forward with its 777-300ER with a refreshed and updated version for its customers, and then announced the 777-8 and 777-9, while bracketing Airbus further into a dismal position. It now is scrambling on point by considering a second stretch for its A350 family with a A350-8000 consideration, where it will may be announced at the next big airshow in 2016. 

The prototypical thinking by Airbus has finally sunk all its chips on the A350 for saving the dying A380 orders as the 777-9 may undercut the A380 market entirely. Emirates made a huge 777-9 order when it plans on retiring of some of its A380's when it receives the newly minted 777-9's in 2019.

The counter by Airbus is an A350-8000 for saving its own wide body episode from Boeing's long planned bracketing with its family of aircraft. First type dying will be the A380 and then any forlorn attempt by Airbus countermeasure is for making an A350-8000. The 8,000 would not beat the 777-9 but it would beat the 777-8 seat count. However, with a distancing measure, Boeing would win over any A350-8000, but Airbus only wants a place at the table and would concede distance battle to Boeing. There are other obstacles confronting Airbus such as Boeing's patented folding wing.

Boeing long ago planned the war against Airbus and made plans with proprietary design points. Airbus could not match or even use it for engineering a long distance wing. 

An Airbus A350-8000 wing would not be a folding wing. A wing of this type allows its 777's to slot into airports as before they would not have to modify any jet ways. Airbus would have to slot its A350-8000 into the same slots built for its A380 causing a problem with airport congestion, if Airbus reaches any sales orders for its proposal. They would definitely not have a folding wing which would open up all the world routes flown by the 777-300ER and future 777-9's. 

Not having a folding wing could be an Airbus show stopper, as Boeing had to conceive and patent the folding wing, as it knew from studies, it could not change customer airports just because of the 777X family of aircraft large wing configurations. The A350-8000 must have an “airport compliant wing” not limiting where it could dock its aircraft. The A350-8000 becomes a desperate effort by Airbus to save both its A350 family and A380 stand-alone, and that is asking too much out of its one underperforming aircraft and not having a wing to go the distance against the 777-9's entry into service during 2019. 

Emirates The Game Changer

Somewhere halfway between Boeing and Airbus is Tim Clark of Emirates. He is the real game changer as he mulls over the 787 vs the A350 and spins another plate called the A380NEO. Even though a behemoth, the A380NEO has not been offered as of yet, it may come. Clark has another 65 A380's yet to be delivered, as it is more than halfway through its A380 order book. Some of those early delivered A380's for Emirates are approaching a fleet renewal status during the next five to ten years.

Clark wants to buy more A380's in a NEO package. Airbus does not want to build an A380NEO unless enough demand is made. Tim Clark and Emirates can change the game for Airbus, but can it change the game for Boeing? The current consideration is for more 787-9's and 10's against the A350's and that has a history from Emirates when it canceled 70 A350's. I can't second guess the Clark strategy, even if having any insider tip (I don't), but can use history to infer a preference. The A350-1000 or 8000 is further behind the A350-900 it had already cancelled. Therefore making, the A350-900 or any other WB twin engine from Airbus less likely.

Boeing has finally achieved a smaller production backlog with its 787 than the current A350 backlog, while Boeing is building more 787 each month than Airbus can produce. Boeing needs 787 orders at this time and will price its 787 at a lower cost while matching its need for new sales. Airbus would have a difficult time pricing the A350 low enough until its own productivity increases in three more years. Boeing, in three more years may have a 450 unit, 787 backlog, unless more orders are booked in the interim period. Prices are offered with Boeing's premium customers and will have a special place for any block orders. Boeing will be producing the 787-10 efficiently when an order from Emirates could be assimilated. In this case, Boeing has the marketing high ground and it aims to use it.

Clark has a finite career duration, which may reach an end before he can convince Airbus to gamble its resources on an A380 NEO program. The backlog of classic 380's is shrinking, while its ordering members are keeping an eye out for an opportunity of any booked cancellations, even before they roll off the production floor.   The A380 NEO will go forward if Clark can change Airbus' game, if not, more Boeing 787's will be ordered. An Emirate A350 order suggest the A380 NEO will come to Clark as part of the package. Tim Clark is obsessed with the A380 model and will use the A350 to get it. However, having a "no" A380 NEO order becomes an Emirates/Boeing 787 order.

Recapping Airbus: ...  is counting on its A380. There are 65, A380's in Emirates' backlog. This also represents a significant quantity of all undelivered A380's. Airbus has about 139, A380's in the backlog making Emirates about a 47% backlog stakeholder. This is the lever Clark is pulling and using for a tantalizing 200-A380 unit order. It may convert 25 of its A380 classic backlog into new NEO orders and then add about 175 NEO's to its order book, making it the 200 A380’s Clark wants. This would cost Airbus developing a new program for the world's largest aircraft for which Emirates would be its only customer at this time. If that is the case, the A380 program cannot hide its failure from the NEO program. There are not enough profitable routes existing for this aircraft, a long held Boeing contention. 

The game changing Clark may not succeed in getting his A380's as it may break Airbus' financial back to complete his dream. In which case Boeing may see another 100 787=9's and 787-10's coming its way via the Emirate order book.

Winging It Think Tank Onion Skin Papeer: MIC Report. Part II:

Having a second take regarding MIC or AKA: Military Industrial Complex only addresses the aviation segment, and more specifically The F-35 program. The naysayers are legion concerning the Lightning II. It’s versions A, B, C have ginormous problems calling for its demise. The naysayers are calling for the nuclear option for the programs and demand stopping it in its tracks. My own instincts tell me with even the evidence at hand the F-35 will reach its promise, and doesn’t have to go Mach 2.5 to be effective.

The F-35 idea was not based on traditional emphasis for speed or maneuverability during dogfights, it was the sum of all its parts overwhelming any potential advisory. Those who want sharper turns and faster accelerations have already missed the point for the F-35 concept. Those who cite constant programing failures or its flawed system alignments have also a dependency with regard for instant gratification.

What is behind all this mess? The number one issue is the F-35 complexity of concept. It has a Star Wars theme on a Wright Brothers tradition calling for its scrapping. However, the reality is somewhere in between models A, B, C. The Marines needed something better than the Harrier and they got it first. The Air Force needed it in numbers immediately, and that too has started the production rollout in numbers, but not all was matured by the process as they needed a new term for the press, and it became concurrency. The F-35 will have the latest and best version in the next 35 years, hence the name F-35.

The Navy has to populate the decks of the Gerald R Ford CVN 78, with the version F-35C, so they are waiting for those Block III’s in the developmental concurrent build process while the Ford goes through its yearlong trial pacing, and hopefully joining up with an updated F-35C by 2017. A second carrier following the "Ford" is a forthcoming as CVN 79 in several more years. Time has been made for the F-35C. The Marines have its Harrier replacement and awaits maturation for its F-35B in active duty while it can/will use this supersonic jump jet from off its Marine Expeditionary Forces fleet decks and bases. The Marines have gained a fantastic advantage with an averaged version for the F-35. This ever so complex aircraft is just average at this time. Without ever changing wings, fuselage or any other aerodynamic points, miraculous change will come from within by morphing the F-35 into a thirty year ahead of its time warfighter.

Those F-35 glitches are causing more of a perception problem for the F-35 than having a real "never will be able to resolve the F-35 problem", thus the trashing of the program is demanded. The testing regimen has eliminated hundreds of to-do fixes for the complex fighter. 

If this fighter rolled out problem free in 2010, then the suspicion becomes, then the F-35 must of fallen short of becoming a superior warfighter. Or if the F-35 resembles a continuous series of problems making and meeting its overarching goals, then they have a Superior program always improving. 

The F-35 is not beyond engineering capabilities but well within those capabilities, but it becomes a matter of the longtime process of making the most complex fighter ever built.The F-22, is a very fast and stealthy fighter, laid down the proven mantel the F-35 has taken up. Everything learned from the former is exponential for the latter. 

The F-22 has proven to be unmatched in the world today and to come for the next many years. The F-35 has its reduced speed for long range strike abilities the F-22 can’t match. The F-35 is too tricky to catch and defeat at any speed. The advanced architecture allows an advancement to the aircraft without changing its stealth design or its natural frame avionics. It just becomes better and better as it ages. It’s unfortunate others has missed this point and want to kill it. Even a baby at birth isn’t ready to run in the Olympics.

Part I Link:

Winging It Think Tank Onion Skin Paper: Too critical To Fail Part I

Often the term too big to fail is used by government thinkers when describing the next big bail out. It could be GM, Chrysler or the Financial Markets. They can’t fail because it represent too much of the America’s economy. In another arena is the defense industry, when old thinking will put America at risk and the same notion by government is applied to military acquisition models where it assumes it needs a competition for the best military capability in the world. 

The US government has assumed the role being the Military Industrial Complex’s (MIC) Maestro. In fact, they have weighed its decision-making based on how a losing bid may be affected and incentivize others keeping them from not participating into future competitions, or securing a prospective bidder so it may not drop out from making any future bid submissions.

The Defense Department may lose its objectivity towards selecting new weapons systems, ignoring what would work best. A lost bid participant would become a victim from the Maestro’s nullification process for optimizing MIC while maintaining a bidder's continuos participation. 

Therefore, the natural process of survival of the fittest is no longer a determiner, but instead becomes dependent of the Maestro’s selection process. This weakens the whole MIC process into a Jell-O like state.

Boeing lost the F-35 fight to Lockheed-Martin. Boeing lost the LRSB-21 fight to Northrop, and GE lost several fights to Pratt and Whitney in Both the F-35 and LRSB-21 programs. However, the Government has a concern about both Boeing and GE as the “losing bidders”, but it refers back to the acquisition process as the culprit for these MIC loss bid participants. 

Boeing is moving towards a Jell-O state when it comes military ventures. The commercial side has become its profitable mechanism. 

The Maestro has a difficult time making everyone satisfied.

The balancing action for preserving the flying selection process may cloud Maestro objectivity going forward, as it nurtured ignored subcontractors along, rather than defend America to the best of its ability. Boeing protested the LRSB-21 and the F-35 as the complaining participant. They have a whole Department of Complaints stocked with lawyers and subject matter experts for this function.

It’s part of the cost the Maestro must endure for every award. The LRSB award will have a taxpayer costs associated with Boeing’s protest, albeit it became a no contest unfolding from the Maestro decision making. It’s part of the acquisition process and is expected. In fact Boeing beat in receiving a favorable decision from the Government for its KC-46 tanker project. The Maestro biffed the award process through inappropriate valuations points towards Airbus, a foreign bidder for an American war fighting machine.

When the US was seeking a “Hummer” pre Gulf wars, it went with a homespun machine maker, and did not go with somebody like Mercedes Benz of Germany. The lesson learned from the KC-46 bid award s that the Maestro must use American offerings when it comes to making its war machines, and it will rely on a balanced award process equalizing the bidder reward so they won't disappear from the government’s manipulations.

The lesson here is that each MIC participant is too big to fail while each bidder must have an equally capable offering with any other bid, allowing the government for keeping the way for the MIC to remain in balance. 

Fortunately, Boeing and GE had an extremely strong private sector businesses with its commercial aviation, and that allowed the government consecutive awards for Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney and Northrop issuing its two richest bid awards without starving out Boeing or GE. The LRSB-21 and F-35 programs were billions, but the 787 and its engines were billions too. The Maestro put MIC on the couch and balanced its complex.

Part II Link:

PAX River F-35 Yearbook

It's time for “Second Line Defense” offering, an F-35 Yearbook. In its 62 page document is presented a clean and positive view for the F-35 during 2015. No negatives or mishaps are reported while it becomes the hope of the program as reported. Having no hull losses in 2015 or epic failures is a clean year in itself.

The Reading assignment Report Link

See bottom of page and open flip reader for full report:

Reading the pages (report link found bottom of page) shows F-35 hopes for the future from 2015 performance. Includes an understanding definition for concurrency.

Liberal Canada Claims A Dependent Status With American F-35.

Why buy the F-35 when USA's borders are adjacent to 90% of Canada's population? On October 1, 2015 the Liberal government claimed itself dependent on American Taxpayers who are paying for the F-35 program. They didn't want the 65 F-35's it had ordered, and prefers a token Fourth Generation Fighter Jet for its own Air Force. Why buy the F-35 when the US is next door, is a liberal sentiment. Let the US Taxpayers pay for our defense. The F-35 is an advanced strike aircraft, and after all who is Canada going to strike?

Canadian Air Force CF-18

Canada will pride itself living on the American Military Complex shadow welfare, by not buying the F-35, since it does not think it needs an advanced Strike capability after being luxuriously situated alongside its high priced neighbors. 

The Justin Trudeau government likes military welfare over warfare. It will eventually not have a competent Air Force that will even match Norway's level (F-35’s) of capability. Why buy the F-35 when our southern neighbors will have so many, and they will defend Canada with the last US dollar wrung from Taxpayers hands?

For every F-35 purchased your pilot has this $400,000 Helmet:

Can this get any uglier from a liberal government? Canada has always desired autonomy from the US sphere of influence, and they could get it soon. Its Zip code is in the Northern Hemisphere, but they have taken a Central American attitude knowing the US will come to its beck and call during any international incursion (A defense treaty with America is cheaper than one F-35). "Why buy the F-35", is the liberal battle cry? Canada would rather manage its Provincial Parks and resorts than defend itself with the next generation of warfighters. America will defend us anyways, calls out Trudeau, even if it gets really sticky. 

So don't buy the F-35 while Canada can enjoy its freedoms with the arm's length security America offers. However, Canada may make a $32.9 million (not sure if in Canadian Dollars) payment to the F-35 program as contracted, keeping alive the idea the F-35 is a possibility and just in case things get sticky by the end of 2016 for what the payment period covers. Russia is equipped well and China is rapidly closing the militarization gap with its fifth generation fighters. Where Canada is only one aerial tanker refueling away from these possible confrontations. But who would want to attack Canada's beautiful Provincial Park system? An F-35 is not needed,eh! 

Trudeau's Foreign Policy statement: "We have old junk (CF-18's) to defend Canada, having a standing TurboTax® software upgrades continuously piped in."

"Eh, what is a CF-18?", as called out from a concerned Hockey fan from far away Calgary? 

Trudeau Policy statement continues with: "It has two jet engines and stuff. It looks like the US version of the F/A-18 Hornet only dumbed down per US military request. It has a Maple leaf painted on the Tail, please look at your brochure for additional information and pictures, and thank you for the question"

Hockey fans replies, "We're good, eh?" 

Trudeau Closes: "Therefore, It's essentially the same Fighter the US will may "retire" after the F-35 becomes operational in greater numbers during the next five to ten years. 

However, with the equipment on hand, Canada could possibly defend itself from adversarial fifth generation fighters coming from China and Russia... maybe? 

When/If "they" attack our Provincial Parks, the US will be pleased to ask for use of our military airfields and defend us anyways. We don't need no stinking F-35 (throat clears), the US has us covered with this year's $32.9 million F-35 program payment."

Going Long Is the Much Forgotten 777-200LR

The press talks about everything other than the 777-200LR. More often it's the 777-300ER discussed by its capacity to hold passengers and the distance it will fly. The 777-200LR goes farther and is a much ignored type from all the headlines published about the A380 and 777-300ER. Below is the top ten longest routes and to many a surprise for the 777-200LR taking top honors in the top ten long distant flyers.

A quote from The Street:

"Must Read: Boeing 787-9 Enables United to Plan Longest Flight by a U.S. Carrier

At 8,446 miles, San Francisco-Singapore will be the longest 787 route in the world as well as the third-longest flight in the world and the longest scheduled flight by any U.S. carrier.

Boeing is flexing its diversity of Aircraft when the 787-9 comes out with the above mentioned route of 8,446 miles. More routes could follow populating the corners of the earth with trending Boeing aircraft going the distance.   

My trip of interest would be Dallas, TX to Hong Kong just because I would love to fly to Hong Kong on a 777-200LR.

Seating detailsSeat map key

		Pitch	Width	Seating details
	Business	60-61	21.0-26.0	45 flat bed seats
	Main Cabin Extra	36-37	18.0-18.5	45 standard seats
	Economy	31-32	17.0-18.5	170 standard s

American Airlines Seat Chart From Dallas, TX 777-200LR V2 map

Airlines find the best aircraft for its business model in spite of the hype for other aircraft not listed.

A Boeing Tale, "Its About MOM"

Once upon a time, there was an airplane builder who thought that every airplane built should be unique from one another until his neighbor displayed different airplanes having the same theme, called commonality. This First Airplane Builder thought commonality was inferior to having its own individuality and kept giving each airplane a different final approach. But the "customer" had to train all its offspring lessons on the care and feeding for each different airplane type it built and adopted in its family of aircraft.

This neighbor across the pond being an over-worked parent, with many customers decided to serve the same bowl of gruel to its family, but in different sized bowls. There were single aisle, dual aisle, and double-deckers, but all having the same gruel. No one in the family of customers could complain because everyone got the same gruel while this neighboring airplane builder grew in size.

Meanwhile, the First Airplane Builder who not only gave different bowls with different sauces in each bowl soon discovered they had to serve "commonality" to its customers, the first airplane maker began to change its various and different recipes into one theme for its customers.

However, the First Airplane Builder soon realized they had to go way beyond the gruel served by its neighbor across the pond. They added to its own recipe and served it in the different sized bowls, with bigger spoons for each customer to look through, by removing the oil floating in the stew air, and giving the customer pretty colors for its offering in the bowl. Other spices were added by this parent for its customer, insuring the next generation aircraft would please the family. The family grew out of using a common theme, and everybody got a better deal with this common approach. The builder then hosted a celebration at an airshow called "commonality".

The neighbor across the pond could not stand still when watching the party, and after hearing the noise coming its way from the crowded event. They looked at its own gruel and said yuck! Let's change the recipe for our customers and then added just salt with an equal amount of artificial flavoring just like the neighbors had done, but nothing else. Engines, Carbon Fiber, and a bigger bowl will make everyone happy.

All the critics of the land knew the First Airplane builder had taken a chance on new ingredients and it had to make some adjustments after some of its customers complained about a burning flavor coming from the pepper added. The builder wrapped a casement around the pepper, and vented the obnoxious gas coming from the pepper, even for its best customers experiencing the indigestion. Risks are those things, “where you don't know how it will work until you try it”.

The neighbor across the pond is averse to trying anything new until much after someone else has already tried it and until it had worked out any unpleasant results. A noble and proper sentiment.

Customers seem to like avoiding risk as well as any other avoidance becomes the strong bond for its customers. The First Airplane Builder has since slid into a position levering those “risks” which also has turned into a normalized function within its own use of due diligence. This all coming after the pepper incident, and applied to its other added spices. The world has changed and the neighbor across the pond has remained resolute with its own commonality, size and gruel in the bowl. The neighbor serves some artificial flavors with its gruel while the First Builder mentioned has leaped further into its recipe with a vast success and due diligence towards the spices. 

However, a problem arose with the first builder, it ignored one of its bowl sizes within its family. The neighbor across the pond saw this neglect for that First Airplane Builder's family member and addressed this gap created through the noticed neglect, by dressing up one of its own children to go further rather than taking any new risk associated with making an all new family member. Even though they call it "NEO" or inferring it to be all-new, it was the same gruel customers came for in numbers.

The First Airplane Builder had so many spoons in the pot that it could not reach mom for advice on this matter. Mom knew the recipes and could fix the airplane family in a way that would provide energy for its other family members. Mom said to use “synergy” with the sauce, it will "complete you". If you don't, it will drag down your whole family. 

The First Builder pondered and pondered this advice, but replied with, "we have too many spices in the pot already for taking on Mom's proposal, it will stretch the recipe too thin". No one wants watered down stew and nobody wants over-spiced gruel, it may ruin the family sitting at the table.

A call was placed for Mom one more time, asking for her advice.

Not my Mom

 Icelandair Tail Livery-757 MOM

She said, "You are in a difficult position for making this decision. If you don't go forward with MOM you may lose a segment of your market. If you do go forward with MOM, it hurts those thriving members at the table by taking from those bowls to fill MOM's bowl. It’s a “damned” if you do and a “damned” if you don't affair", after plugging one's ears when MOM spoke.

MOM clears her throat, "The advice I can give is... wait until your neighbor has lost the "New" energy, and all my siblings are done eating that are before you, then serve me quickly. The 737 Max, 787-10 and the 777-9X have yet to be served the first course at the table. Desert is not yet served, when that happens I'll come out of the kitchen. This allows time for developing my appetite while others have moved on. The neighbor across the pond won't risk anything, even if you do add another pleasing spice from MOM, the others in this family won't mind it. I'll wait until the end of 2016 until the official table invitation." Tell everyone at the table I'm coming out of the kitchen when dessert is served, MOM said so!!

MOM has also spoken in soft tones with this family matter, and it has assured it is a certainty of unfinished business for the family. The recipe of commonality, fresh air, and various customer needs, have all been met by the First Airplane Builder, as MOM has become not an "if problem" but a "when problem".

Story Key:
MOM= Middle of the market i.e. 757
New=NEO An Airbus offering
First Airplane Builder = Boeing
Neighbor Across The Pond= Airbus

Mark Twain: "The Death of The F-35 Is Greatly Exaggerated"

'As the offensive part, the training objective is to exploit every opportunity to kill your opponent with all available weapons.'

He said the aircraft performs very well in a dogfight situation. 'The offensive role feels somewhat different from what I am used to with the F-16.

'In the F-16, I had to be more patient than in the F-35, before pointing my nose at my opponent to employ weapons; pointing my nose and employing, before being safely established in the control position, would often lead to a role reversal, where the offensive became the defensive part.' 

Hanche said he is able to point the nose of the F-35 at a higher angle of attack (AOA) than the F-16 and maintain stable flight. 

This is a significant advantage in a dogfight. He said: 'This improved ability to point at my opponent enables me to deliver weapons earlier than I am used to with the F-16, it forces my opponent to react even more defensively, and it gives me the ability to reduce the airspeed quicker than in the F-16.' 

He said: 'I have flown additional sorties where I tried an even more aggressive approach to the control position – more aggressive than I thought possible. It worked just fine. The F-35 sticks on like glue, and it is very difficult for the defender to escape.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3471468/F-35-stealth-jet-REALLY-perform-Gun-fly-right-manoeuvre-test-pilot-reveals-slows-quicker-emergency-brake-car.html#ixzz41gA9TgxD 
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So goes the F-35 Saga as a Norwegian Pilot measures the F-35 up against his 2,200 hours of flying his vaunted F-16. The test pilot fresh from Arizona's test range notes it has fast (quick) acceleration and quick in the turns. He was able to confound an advisory with an ability to slow down faster than what he previously has flown with the F-16. Dog fighting with the F-35 has a distinct advantage over the F-16.

F-35 Back center, F-16 front enter

Breakingdefense.com photo

The first line of pilots had tested the first batch of F-35 with a limited equipped warfighter. At the time pilots inferred it was not superior to the F-16. 

Therefore, this account dispels any notion the F-35 is inferior in a dogfight with the F-16, after which the F-35 can now implement all its functions as designed, when the "first tests pilots", did not or could not exercise a fully implemented F-35. The early comments may have been correct only within its limited testing constraints, but now and when the fully functional F-35 comes out to play, it plain stomps the competition. 

The DDG 1000, If It Works Build 10 More

A program long since chopped from 32 destroyers down to only three destroyers may come back. The first critical step before committing to a $40 billion dollar expenditure is making the first three and have it only work well before even considering follow-on ships. The first 32 ordered were just a flagrant moon shot coming from the wishful think tank commandos.

Hence it was chopped down to three as the Navy spent its chips on a new aircraft carrier (CVN 78), littoral combat ships, and a fleet renewal challenge for its Virginia class submarines. Too much taxpayer money is in play and something had to give. The DDG1000 family was the sacrificial lamb in this case while some other Navy programs were trimmed back as well.

A Zumwalt redux, could be coming to Bath Iron Works by 2020 if its DDG1000 works as "good" as it looks. The military complex may realize it must build rail-gun platforms covering a naval pivot towards China's aspirations in the Far East region. The Lyndon Baines Johnson, known as DDG1002 will have a rail gun straight from the factory development environment going on its deck. When tests on board the DDG1002 are validated, then a congressional cash pivot towards building more of this class will be voted on as China's rising presence in the region begins to dominate Geopolitical influences. Places such as, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Japan would each need three of this type as a strong influence plying its waters.

The Navy is depending on the current production destroyer results on operational deployment, as it becomes the swing vote for building more of this type. The summary report would include a recommendation coming right after the meeting and exceeding all expectations statement:  “The Navy must buy more DDG1000's when possible”.