Littoral Combat Ships

[Monash]

Seems like a good set of missions for a fast coastal patrol corvette with a stern boat ramp and a helicopter flight deck and hangar, and with a relatively small crew augmented with an embarked VBSS team, visit, board, search, and seizure. ...No?

That frees up the Arleigh Burke DDGs for blue water missions better suited to the larger and more capable warships.

What is the better alternative, if constrained to realistic practicable choices, from among ships currently in commission?

None, unless the Coast Guard is assigned to some of the missions. My point I guess was that the LCS was supposed to be capable of so much more! And now it's been relegated to missions a basic OPV could perform.

[Monash]

Oh, and as I think I may have stated previously (with the benefit of hindsight of course) if the Navy had just concentrated on perfecting just one module from the LCS program - the mine clearing system the Navy would have ended up with class of vessels that would have justified its existence. Something that could both fill a capability gap AND also free up larger hulls from having to perform low intensity maritime patrol duties.

[Albany Rifles]

Not a bad idea...the Perry's and even the non-VLS Tico's were used in SOUTHCOM waters for things like drug interdiction, as I recall.

Yeah...a mission for which it will work at way too much funding. And I wonderf what their operationally ready frate will be.

[Albany Rifles]

Oh, and as I think I may have stated previously (with the benefit of hindsight of course) if the Navy had just concentrated on perfecting just one module from the LCS program - the mining clearing system the Navy would have ended up with class of vessels that would have justified its existence. Something that could both fill a capability gap AND also free up larger hulls from perform low intensity maritime patrol duties.

The LCS was a material solution in search of a functional requirement.

[Monash]

And I bet all of the projects original proponents/enthusiasts inside the Navy who championed the program in the first place have now either left or rigged for silent running. I'd bet it doesn't even appear on any of their resumes now 'program, what program'?.

[jlvfr]

Guess it's better than scrapping?...

[Monash]

Barely.

[jlvfr]

I still think that "40knots speed" for a post WWII hull that size was a stupid idea; this isn't a coastal missile boat. I bet the compromises, extra design work and extra machinery needed greatly added to the cost, both design and maintenance.

[Monash]

I still think that "40knots speed" for a post WWII hull that size was a stupid idea; this isn't a coastal missile boat. I bet the compromises, extra design work and extra machinery needed greatly added to the cost, both design and maintenance.

And breakdowns.