Norwegian frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen (F310). Royal Norwegian Navy Photo
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s recent direction to the Navy to develop proposals for a “capable and lethal small surface combatant, generally consistent with the capabilities of a frigate” could have a major affect on several Navy programs. Read More
USS Independence (LCS 2) deploys a remote multi-mission vehicle (RMMV) on Aug. 22, 2013. The Navy plans to buy 18 RMMVs over the next five years. US Navy Photo
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s mandate capping of the first variants of the Littoral Combat Ship at 32 hulls will do little to limit the acquisition of the mission packages for the Flight 0 LCS over the next five years, navy officials told USNI News last week. Read More
USS Freedom (LCS-1), left, and USS Independence (LCS-2) in 2012. US Navy Photo
The Pentagon will cut the final number of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) by 20 — from 52 to 32 — and shortly begin a study on a new frigate for the service, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel told reporters at a Fiscal Year 2015 Defense Department budget preview on Monday afternoon. Read More
USS Freedom (LCS-1), left, and USS Independence (LCS-2) in 2012. US Navy Photo
U.S. Navy Photo
The Pentagon plans to cut the total number of Littoral Combat Ships by 20 — from 52 to 32 — according to a Wednesday report in Defense News. Read More
USS Freedom (LCS-1) underway in August 2013. US Navy Photo
U.S. intelligence officials have made informal inquiries to the Navy on whether the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) could be part of future intel operations across the globe. Read More
USS Freedom (LCS-1) arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Dec. 13, 2013.
The U.S. Navy’s first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS-1) conducted real-world operations in the South China Sea during the ship’s deployment to Singapore, the commander of U.S. Navy Surface Forces said on Monday. Read More
USS Freedom (LCS 1) is underway in the Straits of Singapore on Aug. 16, 2013. US Navy Photo
The U.S. Navy’s first Littoral Combat Ship suffered minor flooding in port, according to a Monday report in Navy Times.
USS Freedom (LCS-1) was found to have three feet of water in the ship’s bilge in the bottom of the ship on Oct. 20. Read More
From the July 2013 Office of Chief of Operations (OPNAV) report — Littoral Combat Ship Manning Concepts:
Based on current analysis and lessons learned from FREEDOM’s deployment, LCS will be configured to support up to 98 total personnel, to include core crew, Mission Package detachment, and aviation detachment. Projected costs to modify ships to accommodate this manning level are $600,000 for LCS-3 and $700,000 for LCS-4. Projected design and engineering costs for future ships are estimated at $6 million for both LCS variants. The costs to modified follow on ships will be addressed in future budgets.
Manpower and workload analyses of FREEDOM’s eight-month deployment to the Western Pacific will continue through her deployment. Finally,Navy Manpower Analysis Center will conduct a study aboard FREEDOM in early 2014 to support the development of the LCS Ship’s Manpower Document (SMD) which will further codify manpower requirements and policies and validate crew size, crew rotation construct, and associated shore manpower required to operate and support the LCS class. Read More
The first of class littoral combat ships USS Freedom (LCS 1), rear, and USS Independence (LCS 2) maneuver together during an exercise off the coast of Southern California on May, 2 2012.
U.S. Navy Photo.
The Office of the Secretary of Defense is backing a plan that would reduce the numbers of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) from 52 to 24, ending the purchase of both variants of the ship in 2015, according to a Monday report in Defense News. Read More
