The littoral combat ship (LCS) is the first of a new family of surface ships for the US Navy. The LCS is a fast, highly manoeuvrable, networked surface combat ship, which is a specialised variant of the family of US future surface combat ships known as DD(X). LCS is designed to satisfy the urgent requirement for shallow draft vessels to operate in the littoral (coastal waters) to counter growing potential 'asymmetric' threats of coastal mines, quiet diesel submarines and the potential to carry explosives and terrorists on small, fast, armed boats.

In May 2004, the United States Department of Defense and the US Navy announced the selection of two separate defense contracting teams led by Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics to each carry out system design and options for the detailed design and construction of two flight 0, or first-generation, LCS ships.

The numbers of LCS ships is not finalised but there has been speculation of 56 or up to 60 LCS ships, within a total US naval fleet of 375 ships

Littoral combat ship design

USS Independence (LCS 2) of the General Dynamics Independence Class (front right) and USS Freedom (LCS 1) of the Lockheed Martin Freedom Class.

The two designs are quite different, although both satisfy the top-level performance requirements and technical requirements of the LCS programme. Both achieve sprint speeds of over 40kt and long-range transit distances of over 3,500 miles. The Lockheed Martin Freedom Class design is a high-speed semi-planing monohull. The General Dynamics Independence Class design is a trimaran with a slender stabilised monohull.

The sea frames of both designs accommodate the equipment and crew for core LCS missions and special missions. They are both capable of the effective launch, control and recovery of vehicles for extended periods, however the strategy for launch and recovery for waterborne craft and for aircraft are different in the two designs. The two designs also use very different approaches for incorporating reconfigurable internal volume.

The design approach for the second-generation LCS, flight 1, ship acquisition is flexible and will take into consideration the experience gained in the flight 0 designs. In both designs, the sprint speed of 40kt to 50kt results in the body of the hull being lifted out of the water as much as possible. The Lockheed Martin design of the monohull lifts the body of the hull.

The General Dynamics trimaran design, with the slender stabilised monohull, uses two outriggers which move the displacement upwards and reduce the wetted surface. The shaping of the hull in both design strategies gives signature reduction. The designs of both ships continue to evolve with changes in the design proposals

Freedom Class littoral combat ships

Lockheed Martin proposed the Freedom class of littoral combat ship based on a semi-planing monohull design. Lockheed Martin received a contract for the first Freedom class ship, LCS-1, in December 2004. The keel for LCS-1, to be called USS Freedom, was laid in June 2005 at the Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin. It was launched in September 2006.

Builder's sea trials began in July 2008. The LCS was delivered to the USN in September 2008 and was commissioned on 8 November 2008. It is based at San Diego. On 16 February 2010, the USS Freedom left the Naval Station Mayport for its maiden deployment, two years ahead of schedule.

USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) was delivered on 6th June and commissioned on 22nd September 2012. The keels for LCS-5 (USS Milwaukee) and LCS-7 (USS Detroit) were laid in October 2011 and November 2012 respectively. USS Milwaukee is scheduled for delivery in 2014.

The contract for two more ships, LCS-9 (USS Little Rock) and LCS-11 (USS Sioux City), was awarded in March 2012.

Lockheed Martin was to build LCS-3, initially named USS Courage, to commission in 2009. The contract was awarded in June 2006 and the vessel was to begin construction in early 2007.

However, in January 2007, the USN ordered Lockheed Martin to stop work on LCS-3. The USN wished to review the programme because of concerns over cost increases incurred in the construction of USS Freedom. In April 2007, the USN terminated the contract for LCS-3.

In the April 2009 Defense Department budget, Secretary of Defense Rober Gates affirmed the US Navy's commitment to the LCS programme. In March 2009 LCS-3 was announced as USS Fort Worth. Her keel was laid down on 11th July 2009 and she completed sea trials in October 2011.

In April 2005, the US Navy awarded a foreign military sales contract to Lockheed Martin to conduct a nine-month feasibility study to examine possible modifications to the Lockheed Martin LCS design to meet the requirements of the Israeli Navy. The study concentrated on hull, mechanical and electrical system compatibility. The Israeli Navy requirement includes the mk41 vertical-launch system for Barak missiles. The contract was extended in November 2007 to include technical specification and costs for the combat system. In July 2008, Israel requested the foreign military sale (FMS) of up to four vessels of the LCS 1

SPECIFICATION
USS FREEDOM (LCS 1)
Country Of Origin : USA
Service : 2008
Crew : 115
Length : 115,21 m
Beam : 17,47 m
Draught : 3,87 m
Displacment : 3000 Ton
Machine : 2 x Rolls Royce MT 30 36MW gasoline turbine, 2 x Colt Pielstick Diesel engine, 4x Rolls Royce Waterjet
Surface Speed : 47 Knots
Range : 4000 miles
Armament :
1 x 57 mm MK 110 dual purpose cannon
2 x 30 mm MK 44 Bushmaster Cannon
45 x NLOS (Non Line Of Sight) Missiles
21 x RIM 116 Rolling Airframe Missile
4 x 12,7 mm Heavy Machine Gun
Air Arm :
2 x MH 60 R/S Seahawk Helicopter
1 x Nortrop Grumman MQ8 Fire Scout UAV Helicopter

GALERI FOTO

Independence Class littoral combat ships

General Dynamics and Austal proposed the Independence class of littoral combat ship, based on a trimaran hull. To date, USS Independence has been commissioned, USS Coronado is expected to be commissioned in 2013. Four more Independence class littoral combat ships have been named. These include USS Jackson (LCS-6), USS Montgomery (LCS-8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) and USS Omaha (LCS-12).

General Dynamics was awarded the contract for USS Independence, LCS-2, in October 2005. The keel was laid in January 2006 at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. It was launched in April 2008 and christened in October 2008. The ship completed the builder's sea trials in October 2009 and was delivered to the USN in December 2009. It was commissioned in January 2010.

USS Coronado (LCS-4) is an Independence Class littoral combat ship with trimaran hull. General Dynamics was awarded the contract to build LCS-4, in December 2006. In October 2007, the US Navy terminated the contract for this vessel.

In April 2008, the US Navy issued a request for proposals to the two companies for three LCS ships. It had previously been planned that orders would be placed for nine flight 1 (second-generation) LCS ships during 2008 and 2009, for ship commissioning during the period 2010 to 2012.

The contract for the Coronado, LCS-4, was awarded to General Dynamics in April 2009. The keel was laid in December 2009. It was christened in January 2012 and is expected to be commissioned in 2013. The keel for USS Jackson was laid in October 2012.

SPECIFICATION
USS INDEPENDENCE (LCS 2)
Country Of Origin : USA
Service : 2010
Crew : 75
Length : 127,41 m
Beam : 31,7 m
Draught : 4,27 m
Displacment : 3300 Ton
Machine : 2 x MTU Friedischafen 20V 8000 diesel engines with 2 x General Electric LM 2500 Gas Turbine and 4 x diesel Generators driving 2 x shaft , 4x Wattsila Waterjet
Surface Speed : 44 Knots
Range : 5000 miles
Armament :
1 x AGM 175 Griffin Air To Ground Missile precision kinetic missile
1 x 57 mm MK 110 Deck Gun
2 x 30 mm Mk 44 Bushmaster Chain Gun
21 x seaRIM 116 Rolling Airframe Missile
4 x 12,7 mm Heavy Machine Gun
Air Arm :
2 x MH 60 R/S Seahawk Helicopter
1 x Nortrop Grumman MQ8 Fire Scout UAV Helicopter

GALERI FOTO