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From: swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Williams)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: USS Hayler - DD 997
Message-ID: <1991May14.051641.6997@amd.com>
Date: 10 May 91 12:30:01 GMT
References: <1991May9.063808.12145@amd.com> <1991May10.064104.26908@amd.com>
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From: swilliam@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Steve Williams)


Additional information from an earlier Jane's Fighting Ships edition:

>>I came across an arictle saying thet USS Hayler, was orginally designed
>>to be capable of VTOL operations. But this was not implmented.

>>My question,is what would have been addded?

DD 997 was added to the Navy's FY 1978 program by Congress and was not
Navy initiated.  Known as an "air capable" "Spruance," she was to have
an enlarged hanger and flight deck and be able to accommodate up to
four LAMPS III ASW helicopters.  Originally two of this class were added
by the US Senate.  The House of Representatives failed to approve the
funds for any of this variant.  During the House-Senate Conference about
the FY 1978 Military Budget, agreement was reached to provide $310 million
for one ship.  This sum was authorized with the proviso that no more
than this should be spent on this ship.  When bids were solicited from
shipbuilders should they be over the $310 million, weapons, electronics
and other equipment would have to be deleted to bring the cost under
the limit.  Since then the cost of constructing this ship has escalated
beyond the $310 million limit imposed by Congress.  As a result, to
cut costs, the "air capable" portions of the design have been reduced
and the ship has been constructed as a thirty-first "Spruance" class
DD -- ordered 27 September 1979.

>>Would AV-8B or would larger helicopters, I.e. bigger than LAMPS III
>>been used?

Apparently not.

>>Also, what was the cause of changing back to a standard Spruance design?

The cost exceeding the $310 million limit set by the Congress.

Source: Jane's Fighting Ships 1985-86

Steve Williams