PENNY WISE AND POUND FOOLISH

by Fred Edwards

Feb. 5, 2010 — When considering the rationale for dumping the F-22 in favor of the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35, it’s easy to skew the reasoning with dollar tradeoffs. By some estimates a single F-22 costs $350 million including developmental and other costs. One F-35, on the other hand, might cost only $200 million. The $150 million savings per aircraft gets attention. I am not agreeing with those in the Department of Defense who opted to dump the F-22. I’m using it only as an example of cost comparison. But think of this: For the savings on one aircraft, we could operate the entire LORAN-C system for more than four years. But the Department of Homeland Security has ordered the Coast Guard to shut down all LORAN stations February 8.

So what? Doesn’t the Global Positioning System (GPS) do the same thing and better? It guides unmanned aerial vehicles, tells troops and their supporting arms exactly where they are, synchronizes time and cell-phone antenna, navigates ships, and helps us drive to the nearest McDonalds. Sure it does, unless it fails, or an enemy disables it. Then what would we do? A good answer is to keep a backup LORAN system, and even upgrade it to the enhanced version, eLORAN, which had been planned.

Some might say that disabling the satellite system that empowers the GPS is unlikely because even terrorists won’t be blowing a satellite out of the sky. Might be, but it’s relatively easy to cripple the GPS without shooting down a satellite because a space system has two other vital segments — the up-and-down links and the ground station. The links can be neutralized by electronic assault, and the ground station is vulnerable to a variety of stoppages, including mundane factors like power outages and even simple human error. The solution of course is to have a backup system in order to prevent the chaos of a disabled GPS — a chaos that could cause a crash of the financial system — a chaos that would make the annual $36 million cost of operating LORAN look like peanuts.

Another dollar comparison is in order. The estimated cost to upgrade LORAN-C to eLORAN, which should operate for at least 20 years, is $150 million. The projected cost of eight new GPS satellites is $1.8 billion, in addition to launch and operational costs.

If this minor cost of continuing the LORAN system seems to be a no-brainer, then what’s going on? Lawrence A. Husick explains. In an essay of February 2, Husick, a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Center on Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism, wrote that the LORAN system “lacks powerful contractors who profit from its operation and congressional sponsors, to whom a remote radio installation that brings few, if any jobs, merits no support.” In short, he says, “Loran is an orphan.” He adds that February 8 marks the day the Department of Homeland Security put the nation at risk.

His conclusion: “It is easy to see how a small system like Loran just got lost in the shuffle of bean-counters trying to cut corners.” My conclusion: We’re being penny wise and pound foolish. Let’s spend a few pennies for some vital pounds.

This is a special notice for Crosshairs subscribers about my most recent book, Sailors are Reasonable (SAR): The Saga of Foredeck Fred. In a departure from the serious nature of my Crosshairs columns, the book, Sailors are Reasonable (SAR), features the zany antics of Foredeck Fred, an aspiring sailor who aspires better than he sails, and his wife, Paula, who sails better than Fred aspires. Sailors are Reasonable can be purchased at Amazon.com.

Source: Crosshairs - Military Matters in Review at www.milmat.net by Fred Edwards. Used By Permission.

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