Littoral Combat Ships (LCS)

Re: Littoral Combat Ships (LCS); Which is best?

planeman said:

Jeff I've given the benefit of the doubt on NETFIRE and included it. Don't get me wrong it's a great system, but overall the ranking is unaffected although LCS-2 has closed the gap on F-125.

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Thanks. I would have thought that the inclusion of 60 missiles, which have both a land-attack and anti-surface shiping capability, would have made a larger difference...but it depends on your calculations and what you are basing them on.

Either way, I believe that NETFIRES will fill the bill for the LCS mission very adequately.

Ditto for the ASW and counter mine mission packages.

Good thread.

Re: Littoral Combat Ships (LCS); Which is best?

I think being in the 6000t range (two and a half times as heavy as a LCS) Absalon and F-125 could get through as (light) expeditionary DD(G)s.
Since those ships can't rely on heavier escorts, they have to perfrom some of those roles for themselves, so they grew bigger.
The LCS can focus on their main purpose, while the other two have to worry about other things, too, due to those navies composition.

Because of all that, I think this comparrison is not really apt. When fitted for a certain role, those LCS become competetive in that role, but are very restricted in others.

Re: Littoral Combat Ships (LCS); Which is best?

The Absalon and the LCS are ships of different class and design philosophy. It's difficult to do direct comparisons between them.

Absalon use existing, proven and cost-effective ship design. The total program cost for 2 Absalon class ships was $437 million USD, or $218.5 million each.

LCS-1 and LCS-2 are half the size of Absalon in displacement, and used risky new design concepts and the cost has gone way beyond the original cap of $460 million. Its now $631 million for LCS-1 and $677 million for LCS-2:


I like the LCS modular design and mission module concept. I do NOT like the cost. For heaven's sake that's like the price of 1 Fridtjof Nansen class Aegis frigate!

From a foreign navy (non-US) procurement point of view, the Absalon would win hands-down from cost perspective, at 1/3rd the price of a LCS.


BUT

The Absalon class cannot really be classified as a littoral combat warship. That classification should be given to Missile Boats, Corvettes, and maybe light frigates. But not a 6,000 ton multi-mission platform!

Re: Littoral Combat Ships (LCS); Which is best?

This PDF is a study on expeditionary littoral combat warfare.

Re: US Navy LCS

Some progress lately:

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Israel May Buy Littoral Combat Ships: Pentagon

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon said July 16 it has notified Congress of a possible sale of four littoral combat ships (LCS) to Israel valued at up to $1.9 billion. ...

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Four export orders for the plagued ship (LM variant) might very well bring new momentum to the program. Perhaps this can bring the cost down somewhat and attract further customers?
A light frigate with a SPY-1F and perhaps an AEGIS light would definitly make a for a capable patrol vessel off Israel's costs.
Question then, what would - or perhaps more important what could be fitted into such a variant, that might not use mission modules but go a more traditional way of outfitting.

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LCS surface warfare mission package debuts

NAVAL SURFACE WARFARE CENTER DAHLGREN, VA. — To the annoyance of waterfowl bobbing on the Potomac River, Navy gunners test-fired the 30mm modular gun Friday that will be carried as part of the surface warfare package aboard the Navy’s new multipurpose littoral combat ships.

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Ok, the first mission package is there. Though the navy has yet no ship to install it on. At sea testing of the first two is to start in a few weeks.

Re: US Navy LCS-1, USS freedom, on builders trials

Since July 28th, the first LCS is under way for builders trials.

There's already a vid on youtube of the trials, nice lookng ship:

Re: US Navy LCS-1, USS freedom, on builders trials

Scratch said:

Since July 28th, the first LCS is under way for builders trials.

There's already a vid on youtube of the trials, nice lookng ship:

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The US Navy and Lochkheed are putting out good info regarding this. Here are some US Navy pics:







She is a very nice looking vessel and you can see how the Israelis would be interested in her if they can get the costs down.

I'll look forward to when we get the same for the trimarin, LCS-2 Independence.

Re: US Navy LCS-2 Independence Floated/Launched

Some photos fresh from navy.mil of the Freedom. Gotta a news flash for ya' Look at that wake! This ship is going in excess of 35 knots...that's haulin' ..you know what!

MARINETTE, Wis. (Aug. 4, 2008) The first U.S. Navy Littoral Combat Ship, Freedom (LCS 1), the inaugural ship in an entirely new class of U.S. Navy surface warships, is seen conducting a speed run during Builders Trials. The ship is designed for littoral, or close-to-shore, operations and to provide access and dominance in coastal-water areas. (Photo provided courtesy Lockheed Martin /Released)

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Re: US Navy LCS-2 Independence Floated/Launched

Someones personal LCS photos I just discovered..

Re: US Navy LCS-2 Independence Floated/Launched

I still like LCS-2 a lot better. Just seems to be a much more beautiful design. Also, I find LCS-1 does not look as stealthy as some of those European ships. Maybe it's just the mast.