Million Littoral Combat Ship Can Do Amazing Things

[W.G.Ewald]

USS Independence

The USS Independence is in trouble. Built by General Dynamics, the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), designed for anti-submarine, anti-mine, and surface warfare, is beset by problems four years after its debut.

Geoff Ziezulewicz at Stars and Stripes reports the LCS saw a string of failures across an array of systems in both models currently being fielded, but it is the USS Independence experiencing the lion's share of problems.

From faulty anti-mine systems and lift platforms, to bad propulsion systems and hull corrosion, the Independence is seeing plenty of growing pains.

While experts say this may be normal for any new ship with new technology it's hurting sales. In December 2011, Israel backed out of its order for two LCSs and instead ordered two Sa'ar 4.5-class missile corvettes.

But the Navy is already relying on the LCS to fill one fifth of its 30-year, 313 ship fleet. It's training its sailors to use the LCS systems, and its far too committed to back out now.

More good pictures at link.

 

[J20!]

Fantastic piece of kit Ewald. But don't you think its a smidge overpriced? I mean you could buy a decent destroyer for that kind of money. And its a bit under armed as well. Thoughts bro?

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Fantastic piece of kit Ewald. But don't you think its a smidge overpriced? I mean you could buy a decent destroyer for that kind of money. And its a bit under armed as well. Thoughts bro?

What can I say? Your defense budget % of GDP is half that of US.

 

[J20!]

What can I say? Your defense budget % of GDP is half that of US.

True, but as Robert Gates said, the time of "endless money" in the pentagon is over. And with hundreds of billions in defence cuts, the LCS should sleep with one eye open. *wink*

 

[Kunal Biswas]

 

[Kunal Biswas]

With that heli deck it can land a Harrier..

 

[Ray]

These modern ships do not have the majesty of the old ones!

 

[Ray]

 

[Armand2REP]

umm.. didn't they just fire the project manager of LCS... for the SECOND time!

 

[W.G.Ewald]

These modern ships do not have the majesty of the old ones!

Bring back the Iowa class, I say.

Iowa class battleship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Kunal Biswas]

I like yamato class of its time, She was the largest and biggest of Battleship on the earth..

 

[asianobserve]

(delete) jkjfkajfhskjfhslkfh asdklf hjsdlkjfh asldkj fhlasdkjfhasldkjf haslkdhjf

 

[W.G.Ewald]

These modern ships do not have the majesty of the old ones!

 

[Armand2REP]

LCS can spring leaks really well...

LCS Freedom Suffers ‘Minor’ Leak | Gannett Government Media | defensenews.com
More LCS-1 Troubles: 6-inch Hull Crack, Leak…

 

[W.G.Ewald]

These modern ships do not have the majesty of the old ones!

I have been aboard the USS North Carolina, now a museum in Wilmington, NC. I sat in the Captain's chair on the bridge and felt majestic for a moment.

 

[W.G.Ewald]

LCS can spring leaks really well...

LCS Freedom Suffers 'Minor' Leak | Gannett Government Media | defensenews.com
More LCS-1 Troubles: 6-inch Hull Crack, Leak"¦

There are bilge pumps for that.

The ship "suffered a failure of the port shaft mechanical seal," said Lt. Jan Shultis, a spokesperson with Naval Surface Forces command in San Diego. "There was some flooding."

An inflatable boot seal was deployed in a successful effort to contain the flooding, Shultis said, and the ship returned to San Diego on its own power.

"The flooding was quickly controlled and contained to the bilge area," Shultis added.

 

[Armand2REP]

Overpriced rust buckets is what my USN buddies call them.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2736816/posts

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Video - USS Independence LCS2 - Littoral Combat Ship Video - Naval Technology

 

[cobra commando]

Congress Targets Littoral
Combat Ship Survivability In
NDAA


Congress Targets Littoral Combat Ship Survivability In NDAA « Breaking Defense - Defense industry news, analysis and commentary

 

[cobra commando]

U.S. Navy's LCS Remote
Minehunting System
Completes Developmental
Testing

The remote minehunting system (RMS) successfully completed developmental testing, Dec. 9. The objective of the developmental testing (DT) was to demonstrate that the RMS met reliability, suitability and effectiveness requirements. Preliminary analyses of the results indicate that the RMS operated as expected and the test objectives were achieved.

GULF OF MEXICO (Jan. 7, 2012) The Remote Minehunting System (RMS) and an AN/AQS-20 mine hunting sonar are brought aboard the littoral combat ship USS Independence (LCS 2) during developmental testing of the mine warfare mission module package. (U.S. Navy photo by Ron Newsome/Released)

"This at-sea test milestone validates the success of our RMS reliability growth program," said Steve Lose, program manager for the RMS. "The system's performance during the DT gives me confidence we are ready to proceed to the operational assessment phase." The RMS consists of the remote multi-mission vehicle (RMMV) and the towed AN/AQS-20A variable depth sonar. The system's purpose is to provide detection, classification, and localization of bottom, close-tethered, and volume mines in a single pass, as well as provide identification of bottom mines. The RMS will be deployed on the littoral combat ship (LCS) as a component of the LCS mine countermeasures (MCM) mission package (MP). With the RMS, the Navy will be able to keep its ships out of the minefield while conducting mine-hunting operations.


Read more here-
U.S. Navy's LCS Remote Minehunting System Completes Developmental Testing