Defense Secretary Ash Carter has directed the Navy to cut its planned purchase of 52 Littoral Combat Ships to 40, telling the service to instead put its resources toward 31 additional Joint Strike Fighters, maintaining or expanding munitions production and upgrading 10 more guided-missile destroyers to the latest combat design. In a Dec. 14 letter to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, the defense secretary directs the Navy to build a total of 40 LCS and frigate ships, writing that the number...
