The littoral combat ship is a type of surface warship, part of the Navy's fleet, designed to fight close to shore against smaller vessels. The ships are small and fast. These ships are easy to maneuver. They are most commonly used for interdiction, maritime safety and special operations.
These ships are being built not only for the United States but also for other navies around world. These ships are being built to replace the Osprey, Oliver Hazard Perry and Avenger guided missile frigates that have been largely retired from service.
Two variants of the littoral battle ships are available. One is the Independence, which is based upon a trimaran vessel hull, while the other one, the Freedom, uses a traditional metal hull. They are both being constructed by different shipyards.
One of the major concerns with the LCS is that it does not have sufficient anti-submarine capability. The LCS has been unable to provide sufficient anti-submarine capability, which has caused delays in their ability to carry out their mission sets. The US Government Accountability Office found last year that the ships hadn't demonstrated the operational capabilities they were originally intended to provide.
Another issue with the Littoral Combat Ship is that they are extremely expensive to operate. Defense News reports that each ship can cost upwards of $70 million. This is far more than the operating cost of an Arleigh Burke-class ship destroyer.
Potential buyers might find it difficult to afford the ships because of their past history with mechanical problems. This is especially true for South American countries which may be tempted to buy them, but would then be confronted by the high cost and absence of anti-submarine capability.
Ships can also have structural problems that could lead to cracks in their hulls. According to Navy Times documents obtained, these cracks can reduce their speed or sea states.
Half of the fleet's ships have been affected by this problem, including the three first ships that were delivered to the U.S Navy. These ships were named USS Freedom (LCS 1), USS Independence (LCS 2), respectively.
It is also more costly for ships to operate due to their maintenance cost. The Navy doesn't report maintenance costs separately for each mission modules, which can lead the Navy to underestimate the O&S cost that will be incurred once these vessels are in operation.
The Navy is now unable to plan for the future and predict when the littoral combat boats will need to repair or replace. This is especially true for the Freedom class, where an engine problem has made it difficult for the Navy to plan for its future and predict when they will need to be repaired or replaced.
The ships are designed for automation and minimal human intervention, but they can also be outfitted with 70 crew members. This is a big step up from the 40 sailors that were originally planned for each of the ships.