Navy $37 Billion Ships Seen Unsuitable Have 2-Year Window

The U.S. Navy has two years to convince critics, from lawmakers to some in its own ranks, that its troubled $37 billion Littoral Combat Ship program is worth continuing beyond the 24 vessels already under contract.

The Navy must make its case by 2015 for 28 more of the ships if it’s to continue the shipbuilding effort beyond the vessels it has already committed to buy from teams led by Lockheed Martin Corp. and Austal Ltd.