Tag Archives: LCS follies

More trouble for LCS program

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The USS Independence of the General Dynamics Independence Class and USS Freedom of the Lockheed Martin Freedom Class littoral combat ships. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Jan Shultis

The USS Independence of the General Dynamics Independence Class and USS Freedom of the Lockheed Martin Freedom Class littoral combat ships. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Jan Shultis

Two new (and lengthy) reports out on the littoral combat ship (LCS) program. The first at 108-pages is complied by the CRS, the second, a 60-page GAO report. They provide a good background of the program so far and raise some questions.

The fact is that the Big Blue is trying to make one class of now just 32 ships (in two variants) take the place 77 legacy hulls: 51 FFG-7 Oliver Hazard Perry Class frigates (most of which are already gone without replacement), 14 MCM-1 Avenger Class mine countermeasures vessels, and 12 MHC-51 Osprey Class coastal mine hunters. That’s a big gamble to make on such an unproven design.

These ships, which are not fully outfitted yet and each is fairly unique as they come off the ways with an ever-evolving series of tweaks, are pushing the Naval architectural limit for weight allowances, which is a bad thing in a new vessel expected to be multi-mission/multi-role/plug and play wonder platforms.

Also the GAO report found that in USS Freedom‘s recent 10-month deployment to Singapore, multiple problems arose. For instance the ship lost 55 days to a variety of mechanical issues that had to be corrected. Further, the GAO raised questions about habitability on the ship with increased crew size (from 40 as designed to well past 50 as deployed). Even with the increase in bluejackets on deck, the report still mentioned that the ship was heavily dependent on contractor support, requiring five days in port with flown-out contractors aboard for every 25 deployed. Then there is the fact that the lightly armed and short-legged warship that isn’t had a hard time being deployed on worth-wild missions in the far-flung 7th Fleet West Pac area of responsibility.

So it would seem there are some bugs to work out.

Scratch One LCS

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Remember the $11.9 63-M long space-age looking LCS ringer that Indonesia just put in the water?

 

brand new…was just fixing to be turned over to the Navy….

Apparently it was made of compressed kindling and kerosene as it sank to its keel after becoming an inferno during its first refueling….

 

“Hey guys, anyone see what I did with that Camel? …..Oh, nevermind….”

The Full scoop here>

I’m sure that our LCS’s can take a pretty good beating in a high-threat environment though, nothing to see here, keep walking…..

 

More updates on the LCS follies…..

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Hattip DID,

Aviation Week Intelligence Network really doubts that the US Navy will be able to keep its resolutions about fielding modernized DDG-51 Flight III destroyers. Worse, operations and maintenance costs are going to be a problem for the existing fleet. Meanwhile Walter Pincus is challenging the Navy’s numbers and Bloomberg View bemoans how LCS has turned out so far.

Israel Says the LCS is too much for too little

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Report: Cost Prompts Israel to Reject LCS
Foreign military customers have always been one of the goals of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship program, but at least one potential operator may have already backed out. Israel had been looking at buying two littoral combat ships, according to a Jerusalem Post story, but their high cost means they’re no longer in the running. Full Story

Little wonder when the LCS is $700-million plus per unit for a ship armed only with a 57mm gun with a crew only large enough to make the front page of the paper when the craft goes down.

Comparitivly the Dutch built the De Zevern Provincien class 6050-ton FFG’s with a rather robust armarment suite for $816 million

Lets compare

LCS:

The LCS, isnt it cute, with its quaint little 57mm gun up front? But hey $700-mill a unit buys a lot of influence in Congress

 

Dutch De Zevern Provincien

 

Even if you go cheaper and without a large air defense capability, look at the Danish “support frigates” of the Absalon-class. For $267-million per hull (almost 1/3rd the price of a LCS), here is what you get :

Danish Absalon:

Now thats a Littoral Combat Ship! ( i mean frigate)....

1 × 5″/62 caliber Mark 45 mod 4 gun (gotta love a 5-incher for NGFS!)
2 × Oerlikon Millennium 35 mm Naval Revolver Gun Systems CIWS
6 × 12.7 mm Heavy machine guns
MU90 Impact ASW torpedoes
VLS with up to 36 RIM-162 ESSM/RIM-7 Sea Sparrow (Mk 56/Mk 48 VLS)
3 x 2 × Stinger Point-defence SAM
8-16 × Harpoon Block II SSM

Come on!

When Israel, who always wants our stuff says, ‘no thanks’ you have to take a look at our military industrial complex.

I say buy a case of Danish’s

The First Super-Cavitating Ship, GHOST

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(Source: Juliet Marine Systems, Inc.; issued August 10, 2011)
Juliet Marine Systems has released newly-declassified photos of Ghost, a super-cavitating craft it designed on its own funds to “fly” through an artificial underwater gas environment. (JMS photo)

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. — Juliet Marine Systems, Inc. (JMS) announced today that the US Navy/USPTO have removed Secrecy Orders previously applied to GHOST. For the first time, Juliet Marine is able to release photographs of GHOST, the first super-cavitating craft, to the public. GHOST was designed and built by US citizens for the US Navy at no cost to the government to protect US sailors, servicemen and servicewomen.

Development of the first-ever, super-cavitating craft, in many ways, is as difficult as breaking the sound barrier. GHOST is a combination aircraft/boat that has been designed to fly through an artificial underwater gaseous environment that creates 900 times less hull friction than water. GHOST technology adapts to manned or unmanned, surface or submerged applications.

Any Navy possessing GHOST technology could operate in international waters undetected and would have an overwhelming advantage against conventional ships. GHOST is specifically designed for Fleet Force Protection at its present size. GHOST technology is scalable and JMS is currently discussing a plan to build a larger corvette-sized vessel (150 feet) by partnering with a large international defense company.

The US Navy could reduce its naval footprint and financial exposure by deploying a squadron of GHOSTs from Bahrain, which would free up larger assets, such as destroyers and cruisers, saving costs in manpower and maintenance. GHOST is ideal for piracy patrols and could be sea-based to provide protection from pirate attacks that cost our government an estimated $1.5 billion each year. The world-wide shipping industry could be provided with substantial fuel savings using JMS hull friction reduction super-cavitation.

A squadron of GHOSTs would not be detectable to enemy ship radar and sensors. GHOST can carry thousands of pounds of weapons, including Mark 48 torpedoes, and would be virtually unstoppable. The GHOST platform and technology could reduce the need for LCS completely with the capability to travel long distances and conduct the same missions. GHOST could make LCS a defensible platform for combat – LCS is not currently rated for combat. Today, Iran has the capabilities to stop the US Navy from operating in the Straits of Hormuz, a critical passage for most of the oil our country uses.

The Navy compares GHOST to an attack helicopter with regard to its capabilities for force protection. GHOST can deliver forces to any beach location quickly and quietly with enough weapons to conduct a hot extraction. GHOST is designed to provide military game-changing advantages for the USA.