TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
The ASHM launchers are as I have tried to show you again and again not an issue. The tubes are well above the waterline. The flight deck on Independence is large The helicopter model is to scale and the super structure was not reduced in size.
the openings on the side of the hull here are about where the launchers would sit and The launchers are designed to contact with the sea. It would be stupid to place anything on the hull of a ship not suitable for contact with seawater.
The waterline is actually under the arches where the three hulls meet. at the center point we see the towed array. This space in the legacy LCS is used to store vehicles and Boats.
The two VLS cells are here. this takes up existing mission model space on the top of the bridge module below the mast and exhaust superstructure note the duel pack hellfire launchers.
you are correct VLS models could be placed in the bow mounted Mission module but that would mean eliminating the last of the mission module space behind the main gun and in front of the 2 forward quad launchers. As is you are looking at 16 VLS cells with 8 cells on each side of the superstructure
Although a larger set could be installed in the bow it would take longer and Austal/ General dynamics are already pushing beyond the Navy demands with the VLS.