Littoral combat ship

The Littoral Combat Ship is the first design of the U.S. Navy's next-generation surface combatants. Intended as a relatively small surface vessel for operations in the littoral zone (close to shore), the LCS is smaller than the Navy's guided missile frigates, and has been compared to the corvette of international usage. However, the LCS adds the capabilities of a small assault transport with a flight deck and hangar large enough to base two SH-60 Seahawk helicopters, the capability to recover and launch small boats from a stern ramp, and enough cargo volume and payload to deliver a small assault force with armored vehicles to a roll-on/roll-off port facility. The standard armament for the LCS are Mk 110 57 mm guns, while modules containing Non-Line-of-Sight Launch Systems or Mark 54 MAKO Lightweight Torpedoes are available. It will also be able to launch autonomous air, surface, and underwater vehicles. [ [http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/littoral/ "Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) High-Speed Surface Ship, USA." naval-technology.com] ] Although the LCS design offers less air defense and surface-to-surface capabilities than comparable destroyers, the concept emphasizes speed, flexible mission module space and a shallow draft.

Concept

The concept behind the littoral combat ship, as described by Secretary of the Navy Gordon R. England, is to "create a small, fast, maneuverable and relatively inexpensive member of the DD(X) family of ships." The ship is easy to reconfigure for different roles, including anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, homeland defense, maritime intercept, special operations, and logistics. Due to its modular design, the LCS will be able to replace slower, more specialized ships such as minesweepers and larger assault ships.

Development and funding

In 2004, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and Raytheon submitted preliminary designs to the Navy. It was decided to produce two vessels each (Flight 0) of the Lockheed Martin design (LCS-1 and LCS-3) and of the General Dynamics design (LCS-2 and LCS-4). After these are brought into service, and experience has been gathered on the usability and efficiency of the designs, the future design for the class will be chosen (Flight I). This may be a decision to use one or the other design in whole, or a combined form made by selecting features from each, or a mixed fleet of both designs. The Navy currently plans to build 55 of these ships.

On 9 May, 2005, Secretary of the Navy Gordon England announced that the first LCS would be named USS "Freedom" (LCS-1). Her keel was laid down on 2 June 2005 at Marinette Marine, Marinette, Wisconsin. [ [http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=18629 "Keel Laid for First Littoral Combat Ship, USS Freedom." Naval Sea Systems Command Public Affairs. 3 June 2005] ] On 23 September, 2006, LCS-1 was christened and launched at the Marinette Marine shipyard. [ [http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,114781,00.html "First Littoral Combat Ship Christened." Navy News. 25 September 2006] ]

On 19 January, 2006, the keel for the General Dynamics trimaran, USS "Independence" (LCS-2), was laid at the Austal USA shipyards in Mobile, Alabama. LCS-2 was launched 30 April 2008.

On 12 April, 2007, the Navy canceled the contract with Lockheed Martin for the construction of LCS-3 after negotiations to control cost overruns failed. [cite press release |title=Navy Cancels Lockheed Ship Deal|publisher=Washington Post|date=2007-04-13|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/12/AR2007041202159.html|accessdate=2007-07-22|] The second General Dynamics ship (LCS-4) was also canceled on November 1, 2007 [cite press release |title=U.S.Navy Press Release No. 1269-07|date=2007-11-01|url=http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=11449|accessdate=2007-11-01|] after similar cost overruns on their first ship. The Navy currently plans a brand new bidding process for the next three ships, with the winner building two ships and the loser only one. [cite press release |title=Navy Restarting Contest for Halted Shipbuilding Program|publisher=Washington Post|date=2008-04-03|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/02/AR2008040203210.html|accessdate=2008-04-30|]

In the September 26, 2008 U.S. Presidential debate, John McCain denounced the littoral combat ship as an example of ballooned defense spending. [cite web |title=Transcript of presidential debate - CNN.com|publisher=CNN|date=2008-09-26|url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/26/debate.mississippi.transcript/index.html|accessdate=2008-09-26|]

References

ee also

*
*
* "La Fayette" class frigate
* "Visby" class corvette
* Project 28 Anti-submarine warfare Corvette
* "Braunschweig" class corvette
* F125 class frigate
* "Skjold" class
* "Milgem" class corvette
* "Absalon" class command and support ship

External links

* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/31/AR2008033102789.html?hpid=topnews GAO criticizes cost overruns] First two LCS ships to exceed budget of $472 million by more than 100 percent.
* [http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fec&ci=17903&rsbci=0&fti=111&ti=0&sc=400 Press Release] from Lockheed Martin Corporation on the launch of LCS-1 Freedom.
* [http://www.asiaing.com/modularity-the-littoral-combat-ship-and-the-future-of-the-united-states.html Modularity, The Littoral Combat Ship and the Future of the United States Navy]
* [http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/2005/10/the-usas-new-littoral-combat-ships-updated/index.php Defense Industry Daily] LCS info, pictures, timeline, links to pages about LCS robot vehicles.
*http://peoships.crane.navy.mil/lcs/
*http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/lcs.htm
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ship/lcs-specs.htm LCS specifications globalsecurity.org]
*dmoz|Regional/North_America/United_States/Government/Military/Navy/Ships/Surface_Combatant/Littoral_Combat_Ship/
*http://www.austal.com/
*http://www.angleinc.com/ Contracted by Lockheed Martin to develop Lockheed Martin's LCS tradeshow graphics, animations, and simulations.
* [http://www.defenselink.mil/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=10396 Press Release] issued from the Department of Defense relating to the Stop Work order.
* [http://www.windsofchange.net/images/SHIP_LCS-GD_cutaway.pngGeneral Dynamic LCS cutaway view painting]
* [http://www.lmlcsteam.com/video/day-in-life.html Lockheed Day In The Life video]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/25/us/25ship.html Lesson on How Not to Build a Navy Ship]