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The 'Littoral Combat Ship' is the first of the U.S. Navy's next-generation surface combatants. Intended as a relatively small surface vessel for operations in the littoral region (close to shore), the LCS is smaller than the Navy's guided missile frigates, and have 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. Although the LCS design offers air defense and surface-to-surface capabilities comparable to destroyers with 57 mm guns, torpedo and missile launchers, the concept emphasizes speed, flexible mission module space and a shallow draft.
The LCS will be able to supplant slower and larger specialized ships such as minesweepers and larger assault ships in anti-mine and special forces missions, plus robotic air, surface, and underwater vehicles. The first LCS was laid down in 2005; it is slated for delivery in 2007.


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 to be easily reconfigured for multiple roles, including anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, homeland defense, maritime intercept, special operations, and logistics. It is also intended to be able to operate with carrier strike or surface strike groups.

Contents

Development and funding

Ships in this category

References

See also

External links

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 straight decision to use one or the other design in whole, or a combined form made by cherry-picking the best features from each. In late December 2005, the House and Senate agreed to fund another two LCSs. 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 in Marinette Marine, Marinette, Wisconsin. [1]. On 23 September, 2006, LCS-1 was christened and launched at the Marinette Marine shipyard [2].
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.
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. ^[1] This was the last of a series of steps the Navy took to manage escalating costs, including issuing a stop work order for LCS-3 on 12 January, 2007^[1]. Lockheed Martin is still capable of bidding to construct future Littoral Combat Ships. The second General Dynamics ship may also be canceled due to budget constraints^[1].
An international task force has been put together to determine the usefulness of the littoral combat ship in the navies of the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Germany.

Ships in this category

Sea Fighter--an experimental littoral combat ship from the U.S. Navy

References

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2.
3.

See also

★ Sea Shadow (IX-529)

★ USS Freedom (LCS-1)

★ USS Independence (LCS-2)

★ Sea Fighter

★ ''La Fayette'' class frigate

★ ''Visby'' class corvette

★ ''Braunschweig'' class corvette

★ ''F125'' class frigate

★ ''Skjold'' class

★ ''Milgem'' class corvette

External links

★ Press Release from Lockheed Martin Corporation on the launch of LCS-1 Freedom.

★ 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

★ LCS specifications globalsecurity.org

★

★ http://www.austal.com/

★ http://www.angleinc.com/ Contracted by Lockheed Martin to develop Lockheed Martin's LCS tradeshow graphics, animations, and simulations.

★ Press Release issued from the Department of Defense relating to the Stop Work order.

★ General Dynamic LCS cutaway view painting

★ Lockheed Day In The Life video