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EXCLUSIVE: U.S. harassed by Iranian boats

Equation said:

I love how the Austal Class LCS is designed and looks.

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just a correction
Austal is not the class it's one of the companies involved in it's design. The Class is Independence class. I do have too agree with you though it is a very unique design that does have it's own unique "sex appeal"

TerraN_EmpirE said:

just a correction
Austal is not the class it's one of the companies involved in it's design. The Class is Independence class. I do have too agree with you though it is a very unique design that does have it's own unique "sex appeal"

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You're right, thanks for the correction. So what happen to the other class of LCS (USS Freedom) so far? Is it true, that these LCS don't have torpedo tubes or even VLS (vertical launch systems)?

Equation said:

You're right, thanks for the correction. So what happen to the other class of LCS (USS Freedom) so far? Is it true, that these LCS don't have torpedo tubes or even VLS (vertical launch systems)?

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True but in the future they will have modules that will overcome these shortfalls.

The second independence class the Coronado has been launched recently.

The US Navy and the congress sometime ago decided that since there price tags and capability's were complementary and low ( for a navy ship) they would buy Both.

Last week we showed you this photo I took of a mysterious missile that Boeing had on display at the Surface Navy Association’s annual convention just outside of DC.

I had never seen, or heard of, this missile before and no one at Boeing’s booth could talk about the weapon. Well, a spokeswoman with Boeing’s Phantom Works division just emailed me to explain that the Joint Air-Breathing Multi-Role Missile (JABMM) is being designed for use by the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships (LCS).

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Defense.org

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The Missile in Question is likely too try and fill a gap left with the Army's killing of FCS. One of the sub programs for FCS was the non line of sight launch system a pallet mounted remote cruise missile system that was supposed too be worked into the LCS classes. after it's termination the navy went too the Griffin Missile system but that was built as a tiny Hellfire type missile meaning the range and power was lost.

Austal said:

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2nd Littoral Combat Ship Christened

January 16, 2012

"Coronado", the second Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), was christened on January 14, 2012 during a ceremony at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama. The Independence-variant LCS, with its trimaran hull–design, offers maneuverability, stability, endurance, shallow draft, three weapon zones, and a flight deck larger than any other U.S. Navy surface combatant.

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Austal is already constructing LCS-6, USS Jackson, and the contract for LCS-8, USS Montgomery has already been signed and delivered.

All together Austal will build up to 12 LCS Independence vessels under current contract.

Lockheed is working on the Freedom class LCS and has also launched two vessels, with a third under construction and the fourth under contract. Lockheed is also contracted to build a total of 12 Freedom LCS vessels, making current plans for a total of 24 LCS vessels.

In the mean time they have been playing with configurations for the Freedom class boats. Here's a recent temporary mod adding two auto 30mm cannons (the same ones on the San Antonio class vessels) to the top behindthe hangar on either side of the RAM launcher.



These will be very versatile boats and ultimately the Anti-surface, Anti-submarine, anti-mining, and special forces packages for each will be very powerful for their size in each area. I believe an ASW armed LCS would be excellent as an escort for either a PHIBRON or a CSG.