I still think the Zumwalt-class is a waste of money that won't particularly help the US in their combat operations. Sure, they'll be nice to have for trials and to investigate new technologies, but they're never going to do anything that a cheaper ship wouldn't have done in the same position.
Now, the new Ford-class carriers? Now there's the smart money. 25% less crew than a Nimitz? There's some efficient air power projection.
Yeah, but what are they going to put on the new Carriers? They are really screwing the pooch with the F-35.
The F-35 has become such a debacle that we (Canada) are talking about building a new fighter on our own from the ground up. And we haven't done that since the CF-110.
Dunno who we'd have develop the thing, after we backstabbed Avro. We have Bombardier and... I think we still have a branch of Bristol still running in Canada.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09...-fighter-jets/
It's what MacKenzie's saying. :P