Littoral Combat Ship Class - LCS (2024)

Description

Futureship: Chapter One

LCS is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.

Special - LCS The Future is Now

Features

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and Independence variant - designed and built by two industry teams, respectively led by Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics. These seaframes will be outfitted with reconfigurable payloads, called Mission Packages, which can be changed out quickly. Mission packages are supported by special detachments that will deploy manned and unmanned vehicles and sensors in support of mine, undersea and surface warfare missions.

Background

Initiated in February 2002, the LCS program represents a significant reduction in time to acquire, design and build ships in comparison to any previous ship class.USS Freedom (LCS 1), was delivered to the Navy on Sept. 18, 2008. Freedom was constructed by a Lockheed Martin in the Marinette Marine Corporation's shipyard in Marinette, Wisc.USS Independence (LCS 2)was commissioned Jan. 16, 2010.

In 2007, after unsuccessful efforts to convert cost-plus to fixed price contracts, the Navy terminated contracts with Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics for what would have been LCS 3 and 4. In 2009, fixed price contracts were awarded to each prime contractor. Lockheed Martin has already commenced construction ofUSS Fort Worth (LCS 3). General Dynamics will buildUSS Coronado (LCS 4).

Effective competition between industry bidders to build the littoral combat ship (LCS) led the Navy November 3, 2010, to discuss with key Defense Committee members and their staff, as well as industry, the possibility of gaining congressional authorization to award each bidder a 10-ship block buy. The Navy's LCS acquisition strategy to down select to a single design resulted in a highly effective competition and an industry response that resulted in significant potential savings in the LCS program. These competitive bids, coupled with the Navy's desire to increase ship procurement rates to support operational requirements, created an opportunity to award each bidder a fixed-price, 10-ship block buy - a total of 20 ships from fiscal year 2010 to fiscal year 2015.

Point Of Contact:
Office of Corporate Communication
Naval Sea Systems Command (OOD)
Washington, D.C. 20362

The Freedom variant

of the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) class is a high-speed, agile, shallow-draft and networked surface ship. The LCS 1 and follow-on ships (LCS 3, LCS 5, LCS 7, etc.) are open-ocean capable, but are designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal water battlespace. A fast, maneuverable and networked surface combatant, LCS provides the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to accomplish critical warfighting missions, including mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare with inherent capabilities that also support missions such as special operations and maritime interdiction.

The LCS delivers combat capability from core self-defense systems in concert with rapidly interchangeable, modular mission packages and an open architecture command and control system. The LCS aviation facilities and watercraft launch-and-recovery capability support focusedmission packages outfitted with both manned and unmanned air, surface, and sub-surface vehicles. Reconfigurable spaces and weapons modules provide support service interfaces between mission package weapons, sensors and vehicles and the seaframe. Modularity maximizes the flexibility of LCS and enables commanders to meet changing warfare needs, while also supporting faster, easier technological updates. The LCS will be networked to share tactical information with aircraft, ships, submarines, joint and coalition units both at sea and on shore, and with LCS operating groups.

The Rolls Royce MT30 gas turbines on the Freedom variant are the largest of any surface combatant in the U.S. Navy. The flight deck is larger than those on U.S. Navy guided missile frigates, destroyers, and cruisers.

The Independence Variant

of the LCS Class is a high speed, agile, shallow draft and networked surface ship. The LCS 2 and follow (LCS 4, LCS 6 and LCS 8 etc) are open ocean capable ships, but are designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal water battlespace. A fast, maneuverable and networked surface combatant, LCS provides the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to accomplish critical warfighting missions including mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare with inherent capabilities that also support missions such as special operations and maritime interdiction.

LCS delivers combat capability from core self-defense systems in concert with rapidly interchangeable, modular mission packages and an open architecture command and control system. The LCS INDEPEDENCE Variant aviation facilities and watercraft launch and recovery capability support focused-mission packages outfitted with both manned and unmanned air, surface, and sub-surface vehicles. A mission bay and three weapons modules provide support service interfaces between mission package weapons, sensors and vehicles and the seaframe. Modularity maximizes the flexibility of LCS and enables commanders to meet changing warfare needs, while also supporting faster, easier technological updates. LCS will be networked to share tactical information with aircraft, ships, submarines, joint and coalition units both at sea and on shore, and with LCS operating groups.

The trimaran construction is unique to the US Navy and lends the USS Independence some unique characteristics. Its flight deck is the largest of any current surface combatant, and its hangar bay is able to hold two MH-60 helicopters.