Just because technology is new, doesn't mean it is better.
I agree. Case and point: the photonics mast has lower resolution/zoom than the old school periscope. Probably would be a different story if they used modern hi-res optics, but the "new" technology in the VA is actually going on over 15 years old.
New whiz-bang systems we simply can't afford in today's budget...
It's not the new technology that's sucking the budget...When the Navy spends more than a house to replace analog equipment born from the 1970s and $8k to replace laptops that would have sold for $499 at Best Buy 6 years ago, you know there's something wrong. In fact, using outdated equipment makes things more expensive since the technology is no longer mass-produced on any kind of scale.
