Never fear, the Littoral Combat Ship is here (well, soon)

[DainBramaged]

Key Data
Hull Service Life 30 years
Draft at Full Load Displacement 10ft
Sprint Speed in Sea State 35.0 kt
Range at Sprint Speed with Full Payload1,500nm
Range at Economical Speed 4,300nm
Economical Speed >20kt
Crew Size 15 to 50 core crew
Ship and Crew Provisions21 days (336 hours)

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is the first of a new family of surface ships for the US Navy. The LCS is a fast, highly manoeuverable, networked surface combat ship, which is a specialised variant of the family of US future surface combat ships known as DD(X). LCS is designed to satisfy the urgent requirement for shallow draft vessels to operate in the littoral (coastal waters) to counter growing potential 'asymmetric' threats of coastal mines, quiet diesel submarines and the potential to carry explosives and terrorists on small, fast, armed boats.

In May 2004, the United States Department of Defense and the US Navy announced the selection of two separate defense contracting teams led by Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics to each carry out system design and options for the detailed design and construction of two Flight 0, or first generation, LCS ships.

Lockheed Martin received a contract for the first ship, LCS 1, in December 2004. The keel for LCS 1, to be called USS Freedom, was laid in June 2005 at the Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin. It was launched in September 2006.

Builder's sea trials began in July 2008, it was delivered to the USN in September 2008 and scheduled to commission in November 2008. It will be based at San Diego.

General Dynamics was awarded the contract for USS Independence, LCS 2, in October 2005. The keel was laid in January 2006 at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. It was launched in April 2008 and christened in October 2008. Sea trials are expected to begin in late 2008 and it is due to commission in 2009.

Lockheed Martin was also to build LCS 3, USS Courage, to commission in 2009. The contract was awarded in June 2006 and the vessel was to begin construction in early 2007.

In January 2007, the USN ordered Lockheed Martin to stop work on LCS 3. The USN wished to review the program because of concerns over cost increases incurred in the construction of USS Freedom. In April 2007, the USN terminated the contract for LCS 3.

General Dynamics was also awarded the contract to build LCS 4, USS Liberty in December 2006. In October 2007, the US Navy also terminated the contract for this vessel.

In April 2008, the US Navy issued a request for proposals to the two companies for three LCS ships. It had previously been planned that orders would be placed for nine Flight 1 (second generation) LCS ships during 2008 and 2009, for ship commissioning during the period 2010 to 2012.

The numbers of LCS ships is not finalised but there has been speculation of 56 or up to 60 LCS ships, within a total US naval fleet of 375 ships.



http://www.naval-technology.com/projects/littoral/


This should take care of those pesky pirates sometime, in the future, when they decide to build lots of these, maybe, because the world has changed and you can't chase a lifeboat with a destroyer, well you can, but not very successfully.

[panader0]

1. At first glance I thought it said "Clittoral Combat Ship"

I've heard about the "little man in the baot" but Combat?

[luvspeas]

4. damn! you stole my joke!

I thought I was so clever.
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[provis99]

2. one of the few weapons systems that makes any sense

The F-22, F-35, Seawolf, Osprey, and Future Combat Systems programs should all be scrapped. They are all designed to fight the Soviet Union, and are completely useless in this age.

[bushmeister0]

3. Gees! Looks like an Ironclad.

Or Captain Nemo's Nautilus: