Littoral Combat Ships (LCS)
- Thread starter Jeff Head
- Start date
Yes.
The Chinese Type 056 corvette is a vessel that would best the LCS as currently outfitted in the littorals.
The fact is, they built these vessels as if though NOBODY would challenge the US, outside of terorist, fast speed boats, pirates, weak 3rd world nations, etc.
Even as they went on their merry way with that attitude, the Chinese, the Russians, and others have been building effective, modern, much more heavilyy armed littoral combatants. And in thge Chinese case, in large numbers.
Taking an 056 design, add an eight cell Mk-41 and a hanger to it, and you have an effective design for ASW, ASuW, and Maritime Patrol. Give it enough space for a larger helo and the equiment to add as needed, and you could also build it to handle the MMC mission IMHO. And a lot cheaperr, is my guess than the current LCS.
Yes, it would not be as fast...but far, far too much emphasis was placed on that aspect anyway.
As it is, they are going to have probably at least 24 of the LCS vessels.
We simply need to come up with a plan, IMHO, to make twelve of them (the Independence) predominantly MMC vessels, or SpecOps mother ships, with adequate self defense for Anti-Air, ASW and ASuW suited for the littroral environment where they will operate...and against the types of foes they may envounter.
Make the other twelve (the Freedoms), more multi-role capable with an emphasis, IMHO on ASW escort duties.
Then proceed with a realistic and decent mulit-role FFG design to address the propsoal currenlty under consideration.
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Jura The idiot
General
dtulsa, I still remember this post of yours ... most recent article
says
If by that you mean stopping it right where it is...that's not going to happen.
If by that you mean stopping it with the existing contracts that have been signed, and the ships already in the pipeline...I believe that is much more possible.
Based on the 2004 contract for the first four (2 of each) and the 2010 contract for a further 20 (10 of each), that would mean 24 vessels, (12 of each) which is where I believe they should end it.
Then you make the 12 Independence class much more MMC and ASW centric, and use them for MMC missions and ARG ASW escort missions, especially in the Littorals.
You then make the 12 Freedoms more miulti-role capable, with an emphasis on ASW, and use them in CSG escort and show the flag missions.
Anyhow, that's what I believe should happen.
We shall just have to wait and see what they do.
But, it they did cut it off at 24 LCS, they could then proceed and build about 30 of the multi-role out and out frigate designs that are now being contemplated. I just wish to goodness that that is what is what they had done to begin with.
Brumby
Major
I had always suspected that they saw the writing on the wall and quickly dole out the contracts before the gate came down given that there were design issues that were yet to be ironed out.
They have an opportunity now to right a wrong in a flawed program.
Yes...and they are doing so.
But if the cost to cancel contracts already committed to exceeds what you would save by proceeding...then you get use out of them (like the MMC role and the Littoral ASW role for the OIndependence vessels) and stop the homoraging by not awarding any new contracts.
I honestly believe that the Independence Class would be great MMC and ASW platforms in the littorals. And that the Freedom Class could be made into decent multi-role vessels with outstanding ASW escort capabilities for the CSGs.
Jeff I tend to agree with your assessment, now its all to the politicians to figure this out and hope they get it right this time I do have hope that will happen but I have been wrong before { thought the F35 was a good idea for about a week} figured out that just about as bad as the lcs concept. But that is another subject altogether.