It would not be surprising to me to see the navy go with some sort of enhanced Hellfire type and call it the greatest thing ever but in all honesty there is really only one choice the NSM now if they can figure out how to get LCS from their safe house in port and add some ESSM block 2 but that is a fantasy
Littoral Combat Ships (LCS)
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
By the way BAE has a box type launcher that is a bolt on system than launches almost all of the mk41 compatible missiles it's called the ADL if y'all are curious if they could fit 2 of them on LCS there be a way for them to salvage these ships but I wont hold my breath on that
These hulls will be made to be able to hold their own.
They will ultimately carry the NSM, oand they may carry an eight cell VLS.
That could contain four LRSAM and 16 ESSMs.
Either way, there are going to be 24 hulls (before the new FF gets produced) and the US Navy will make sure they are capable...if we can keep an Obama or other like minded "progressive" admin from gaining power and leaving them ruined.
Jeff I really hope your right I think they could and would support 2 ADL launchers plus 8 NSM that would give them in theory the same 8 cell capability without any major modifications maybe they then use 1 ADL for ESSM and one for ASROC but they really are a ship who lost complete confidence of the navy and to make them into proper frigates is a mssive undertaking one that I assume the navy probably won' undertake if they are smart
Jura The idiot
General
the number appears to have grown from 32 to 35 recently:
"A committee staffer said HASC determined the Navy’s one-LCS request was “damaging to the two construction yards” – the Navy had previously said it needed to buy three a year to maintain shipyard efficiencies and to keep both Austal USA and Fincantieri’s Marinette Marine healthy ahead of the frigate competition next year – and so the subcommittee recommended the full committee include funding for three ships. That would put the Navy at 35 LCSs total, compared to its stated need of 32, ..."
etc., source is USNI News linked Apr 26, 2018
Does anybody notice ficanteteries name there and just happens to build the Fremm and also the Lockmart freedom class think that just might give them 2 entries in the FFGX competition wanna guess who the winner is now
Also I will say FFGX will not stop at 20 more than likely will be 25-30 when it' all said and done
Ahh but we can sell or give them away to all the customers standing in line for them oh!!! Wait there aren't any
Just read USNI a total of 29 LCS contracts habe been awarded so far if you add the 3 more fire 2019 that a total of 32 all the navy had envisioned personally I think it' about 29 too many but I can't change the mavy's mind
To the contrary, IMHO, if they are smart that is exactly what they will do.
Having 28+ )now) hulls that can operate with they type f armament we discused, and then be used for PhibRon or even CSG ASW escort ptraol would be a very good thing. They will have the helos, they will have some decent detectors, and they are faConceivably fast enough if they shot is fired far enough away to maintain a lead on the topr until it runs out of fuel, while their helos prosecute the sub. Once it fires, it completely goves away its position and should allow the Seahawks to put them down.
In addition with 16 ESSMs and the 11 cell SeaRAM, they should be able to protect themselves, and with eight good ASMs they have a decent punch there too.
No they are not what we wanted...or epected...but if the Navy does a deen job and follows on with a truly mulit-function FFG with about 24 of them at least, we will do fine