Can This Pentagon FUBAR Be Fixed?

This story is about a new ship for the Navy.

But it's also a template for Air Force and Army projects.

 The USS Constellation was supposed to be a symbol of America's resurgence at sea....

 ...It was supposed to be fast, reliable and proven designed to show the world that the US Navy could still dominate the waves.

Instead, the USS Constellation has become one of consternation and a cautionary tale at that.

To speed up the building program, the Navy did something unusual: it chose a design already in use by Italy's navy, where frigates like the Carlo Bergamini class were being built in just four years. ...

That was before the Admirals stuck their fingers into the project.

 ...But once the contract was secured, the Navy began constantly modifying the design, frequently changing the requirements, requesting upgrades and tweaking designs after shipbuilders have already begun construction. 

The hull was lengthened by nearly 24 feet. The bow was reshaped. The sonar dome was removed. The engine rooms were redesigned. 

Generators and switchboards, separated in the Italian model for survivability, were forced together in the US version, triggering spatial reshuffles and weight increases. 

A new propeller was required for acoustic performance. Cooling systems needed enlarging, which in turn demanded bigger pumps - and more space. Ventilation had to be rerouted. Room layouts had to be redone.

Nearly five years after the initial contract award, and over two years into physical construction, the Constellation is just 10 percent complete.

If that pace holds, the ship won't sail the open seas until 2029 - a nine-year timeline, double that of the Italian version it was based on....

Ask about fighter jets.  Ask about Army rifles, or ammo.  It's always the same story.  Pentagon 4-stars or nosy know-it-all jackwads (and lobbyists from various suppliers and competitors) fiddle and twiddle until they arrive where they are most comfortable:

FUBAR.