Littoral Combat Ships

[kato]

What kind of shape are the hulls and plants in?

Let's say it like this: Poland had a 60 million USD upgrade (per ship) scheduled for both of its OHPs. This upgrade has been cancelled because it is estimated that this amount would not be enough to extend their usable lifetime for more than a decade. One of the two ships will now be discarded and the other receives a limited upgrade so it can serve for another five years to be discarded afterwards. Replacement is a "littoral combat ship" btw - or rather, a "coastal defense ship".

[qaz14595]

USS Coronado LCS 4 Bangs Into Panama Canal/LCS2 did well over 40 knots in sea state 5

Will be interesting the solution they end up implementing to help prevent the wall bangs. And also though some of you may find the results of the heavy weather speed trials for LCS2 of interest -

USS Coronado Bangs Into Panama Canal

It’s not really a big deal that USS Coronado, the U.S. Navy’s fourth littoral combat ship (LCS), banged itself up today while transiting through the Panama Canal’s Pedro Miguel Locks. With only feet to spare on either side of the “amas” there’s not much room for the Austal-designed warship to get through the canal. For Panamax merchant vessels, there’s likely even less room.

Unfortunately, it was the second such incident to occur while performing this very task, on consecutive occasions, by this same class of vessel. Her predecessor USS Independence experienced a very similar incident during her last transit.

When Panamax merchant ships hook up to the “mules” which guide them into the lock, the guide wires line up fairly closely with the level of the ship’s main deck. For the Coronado, these guide wires angle downward because her main deck is significantly closer to the waterline than other ships. This angle presents inherent difficulties to maintaining lateral control of the ship when entering the lock because the side-to-side vector force of the guide-wires is diminished as the downward angle of the guide-wire increases.

The solution to this issue is likely quite varied, so I’ll pose the following question to the gCaptain audience:

If you owned a multi-million dollar vessel and were worried about it banging into the side of the Panama Canal, what steps would you take the mitigate the risk of damage?

In other LCS news, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced today that only 32 ships, of the original 52 ships ordered, will actually be built. He notes that the U.S. Navy is “relying too heavily on the LCS to achieve its long term goals for ship numbers” and that defense spending will be cut by $75 billion over the next two years.

“We need to closely examine whether the LCS has the independent protection and firepower to operate and survive against a more advanced military adversary and emerging new technologies, especially in the Asia Pacific,” noted Hagel.

On a more positive note however, USS Independence (LCS2) was going through heavy weather speed trials recently and did well over 40 knots in sea state 5. Our source notes the ship performed flawlessly.

gCaptain Maritime & Offshore News | USS Coronado Bangs Into Panama Canal

[DonBelt]

Let's say it like this: Poland had a 60 million USD upgrade (per ship) scheduled for both of its OHPs. This upgrade has been cancelled because it is estimated that this amount would not be enough to extend their usable lifetime for more than a decade. One of the two ships will now be discarded and the other receives a limited upgrade so it can serve for another five years to be discarded afterwards. Replacement is a "littoral combat ship" btw - or rather, a "coastal defense ship".

To be fair, they did get 2 of the older OHP's, FFG-9 and 11. But I don't doubt there's a lot of wear on those ships. Just thinking aloud what could be done to fill the role of ocean escort if the LCS can't handle it. The more I look at the Patrol Frigate 4921 proposal the more I think it might be a good idea.

[surfgun]

WASHINGTON — The effort to re-evaluate the Navy’s small surface combatant program is underway under the direction of a new Small Surface Combatant Task Force (SSCTF).

As directed Feb. 24 by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, the task force will examine the littoral combat ship (LCS) and compare it with other designs, all with a goal to buy “a capable and lethal small surface combatant generally consistent with the capabilities of a frigate.”

The task force replaces the LCS Council, a now-defunct, high-ranking group convened in August 2012 to give the LCS program added direction and focus.

Unlike the council, which was led by a three-star admiral, the task force is being led by a civilian, and does not include a flag officer.

John Burrow, executive director of the Marine Corps Systems Command, will lead the task force, according to a March 13 directive from Adm. Jon Greenert, chief of operations (CNO), and Sean Stackley, the Navy’s chief acquisition official.

Burrow, a member of the Senior Executive Service, now provides direction and oversight of command-wide resources, programs and management systems, and is engaged in all aspects of ground equipment and systems acquisition for the Marine Corps, according to his official biography. It is not clear if he has previously been involved with the LCS program.

Six experienced captains, one commander and another civilian, all from OPNAV — the offices reporting directly to CNO, or the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) — make up the rest of the task force membership.

A flag-Senior Executive Service advisory group will assist the task force. Co-chaired by Allison Stiller, chief surface ship acquisition officer, and Rear Adm. Thomas Rowden, director of surface warfare, the group is made up of OPNAV or NAVSEA representatives, with one civilian from Norfolk-based Fleet Forces Command.

What is perhaps unusual is that neither group features a representative from the active-duty Naval Surface Force command. Vice Adm. Tom Copeman, head of the San Diego-based command, was a member of the council and previously identified the need to study alternatives to the LCS designs.

The SSCTF task force is directed to develop an analysis plan by the end of March. As directed by Hagel and Greenert, the group will consider modified LCS designs, existing designs or a new ship design.

In order to create a baseline, the task force is directed to prepare a “side-by-side comparison” of the requirements and capabilities of Oliver Hazard Perry FFG 7-class frigates and the LCS.

The once-numerous FFG 7s, designed in the 1970s, are soon to leave service. Only about a dozen remain active, and all will be gone by the end of 2015. The ships were to have been replaced by new LCSs, but only four of the new ships are active, and only about six will be in service when the last frigates are decommissioned.

The March 13 task force directive did not specify a date as to when its work should be completed. Hagel said Feb. 24 that the work should be done in time “to inform” decisions for the 2016 budget, which would lead to a fall 2014 time frame.LCS alternative task force named | Navy Times | navytimes.com

[DonBelt]

Another similar vessel, has 5 in gun, CIWS, ASM, nothing else, approx 45 crew and officers, appears to have basic helo deck, large access doors for boat launching.
Taiwan launches first 'carrier killer' stealth missile corvette - IHS Jane's 360[PMP]_PC5308_J360-19March_DeploymentEmail_HM&utm_medium=email&utm_so urce=Eloqua

[surfgun]

Approval given for Griffin missile launch system
by Richard Tomkins
Washington DC (UPI) Mar 26, 2014


The U.S. Navy and Raytheon report that the Navy's MK-60 missile system for use in littoral waters has gained initial operating capability status.

The Patrol Coastal Griffin Missile System features a laser targeting system and a Navy-designed launcher and battle management system combined with Raytheon's combat-proven Griffin missile.

The missile, used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is 43 inches long, weighs 33 pounds, and has a 13-pound warhead. Its operational range is about 12.5 miles.

"The Griffin missile and MK-60 system assure the accuracy and lethality our sailors need to combat growing regional threats," said Capt. Mike Ladner, the major program manager of Surface Ship Weapons, U.S. Navy Integrated Warfare Systems 3.0 program office. "IOC (initial operating capability) signals the beginning of improved ship self-defense on the patrol coastal fleet and provides an immediate response to potential maritime threats, especially small craft on the move."

The Griffin missile is a multi-platform weapon that comes in two variants: the Griffin AGM-176A, which is an aft-eject missile designed for use on aircraft such as C-130 aircraft; and the BGM-176B, which is a forward-firing missile for launch from helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The BGM-176B can also be launched from the ground, and now from ships following a year of maritime testing of the MK-60 system.

[kato]

Only thing Griffin has going for it is the low unit cost. From an operational point-of-view, RAM Block 2 in HAS mode would be far more efficient as a multi-target effector for small units. And for unit cost, what you really want in this payload category is Vulcano.

[JRT]

I recently saw this picture taken when LCS-2 was in drydock in 2012. It shows the geometry of the center hull pretty well. Thought you might find it interesting.




The picture below below provides another visual reference to go with the above picture.








edit: added another...

[JRT]

Here we go again with the politicians.

Navy Names Littoral Combat Ship Gabrielle Giffords

Story Number: NNS120210-25
Release Date: 2/10/2012 3:57:00 PM
From Department of the Navy

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Feb. 10 that the next Independence variant littoral combat ship (LCS) will be named USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10).

The selection of Gabrielle Giffords, designated LCS 10, honors the former congresswoman...

Here is some follow up to that.

Gabrielle Giffords signs initials onto future littoral combat ship bearing her name

By Michael Finch II
Mobile Press Register
April 16, 2014

MOBILE, Alabama -- Welding gun in hand, former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords etched her initials Wednesday into an aluminum plate to be welded onto the littoral combat ship that will carry her name.

Giffords, who is still recovering from an assassination attempt in January 2011, did not speak much at the ceremony held to authenticate the keel of the 10th littoral combat ship being built for the U.S. Navy by Austal USA.

Inside the assembly bay, audience members applauded as she walked to the front of the crowd. Austal welder Jesus Silva aided Giffords in tracing the two letters of her name.

“Whoa,” Giffords said, when the engraving was complete. Standing behind a large American flag were 20 of the 37 modules being pieced together to form the future USS Gabrielle Giffords, the only naval ship named after a living woman.

Austal builds the Independence-class littoral combat ship, a small surface combatant known for its speed, massive flight deck and minesweeping capabilities.

The celebration comes at time when lawmakers in Washington continue to debate the key parts of the program. Last week, Bloomberg reported on a classified Government Accountability Office report that further called into question the ship’s performance.

GAO officials said a public version was not yet released, but the news article cited dissatisfaction with the ship’s speed and electronic capabilities from the Navy’s Pacific fleet.

U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope, defended the program in an interview Wednesday, holding that the ship is capable of performing the tasks it was designed for. Byrne said he had not seen the classified version of the report, but was aware of the news story.

“We’ve got to make sure we understand the mission of these vessels and how it fits into our needs across the globe to project American power,” Byrne said.

“Anytime you bring a new ship on, there are things you’ve got to do to work out the bugs in the ship."

[citanon]

Here is some follow up to that.

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That's great. When this ship dispatches an enemy, it's literally GG. :)

[surfgun]

Now we just have to wait for that mast stepping ceremony!

[surfgun]

The Ingalls alternatives.

Ingalls Shipbuilding Sea Control Frigate - YouTube

[jlvfr]

The Ingalls alternatives.

Ingalls Shipbuilding Sea Control Frigate - YouTube

Seriously, the US could save sooooo much Money by simply looking at european frigate designs...

[Tom24]

Seriously, the US could save sooooo much Money by simply looking at european frigate designs...

We would have saved a ton of money if the Navy would have developed the NSC jointly with the Coast Guard to build a frigate replacement. But the insistence on 40plus knot capability led to the train wreck LCS program. The Bertholf class cutters have performed well in service and have space and weight for additional weapon systems, and have long sea legs to boot. A joint building program would have been beneficial to both of our services.

[desertswo]

That's great. When this ship dispatches an enemy, it's literally GG. :)

Personally, I find the very notion of naming this ship after her idiotic and poorly thought out. Surely there is a heroic Marine out there far more deserving of the honor than a politician who was literally in the wrong place at the wrong time.