Pentagon Decides it Has Enough Ferries

Once upon a time a richly budgeted Dense Department decided to spend $3 billion to buy a whole bunch of high-speed ferries, which it called Joint High-Speed Vessels.

In fact the Army and Navy sort of ended up in a duel to build up ferry fleets -- the Army bought five, the Navy 10.

Now that the Pentagon has to save money wherever it can, it has decided it can't afford to buy any more fast ferries, and will pass on the purchase of another eight vessels over the next five years for a saving of $1.2 billion.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a ferry nut, and in fact once astounded my wife by taking on her on trip in interior British Columbia far from the sea that included three separate ferries, but I think 10 high-speed ferries is enough for an outfit trying to live within a budget.