Littoral Combat Ships (LCS)

At this point, if I had a magic wand, I would wave it to do the following.
...

for now, I found something like the Harpoons offer:
Boeing Will Offer Modified Harpoon Missile for Littoral Combat Ships
Hoping to build off of the Navy’s extensive inventory of existing anti-surface missiles, Boeing plans to compete a modified version of the Harpoon RGM-84 anti-ship missile (ASM) for the over the horizon ASM capability for the Littoral Combat Ship and the modified LCS Frigate program, the company announced on Tuesday during the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition 2015.

Boeing’s bid would add a new warhead and a reconstituted engine for a range of more than 130 nautical miles — up from the about 70 nautical mile range of the current Block II weapons — in a Harpoon Next Generation scheme that would create new missiles and offer kits to upgrade the existing inventory.

The company is focusing on the upcoming LCS over-the-horizon ASM and the existing fleet of Harpoon users as a cost effective option for the Navy. Boeing did not release pricing information.

The modified Harpoon will not be Boeing’s offering for the separate Next Generation Strike program which recently paired the Navy’s Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) Increment II and Next Generation Land Attack Weapon into a single program, USNI News understands.

The service has mounted a renewed interest in anti-surface weapons for the surface fleet after almost two decades of focus on land strike and ballistic missile defense (BMD).

The Next Generation Strike program will follow Raytheon’s Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM) and Lockheed Martin’s Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) — currently under development.

The LCS missile will eventually be included as part of the modular Surface Warfare (SuW) package and be native to the modified LCS frigate class, according to the most recent information for the Navy.

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, Raytheon and Kongsberg announced they would team to offer the Norwegian Naval Strike Missile for LCS.
source:
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... two ASW helos, and six torpedo tubes.

six tubes with two ASW helicopters around ... this seems too many torps even to me (and I like ships armed to teeth LOL) ... I've realized recently the new torpedo models (from Western Europe) are very expensive: they cost almost as much as an AShM missile!
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
I found something like the Harpoons offer:
Boeing Will Offer Modified Harpoon Missile for Littoral Combat Ships
Good...it was just a matter fo time before something like this was offered.



six tubes with two ASW helicopters around ... this seems too many torps even to me (and I like ships armed to teeth LOL)
Most destroyers and even frgates genrally carry a triple tube torpedo launcher on each side of the vessel. I would like to see the LCS get the same.

... I've realized recently the new torpedo models (from Western Europe) are very expensive: they cost almost as much as an AShM missile!
Well, they are becoming more sophisticated...and more lethal.

And when you compare the price of one strong, either medium weight or light weight torpedo to the price of a modern sub (which it is hunting) or to the price of the frigate or destroyer utself (which it is protecting)...it puts things in the right perspective.
 
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kwaigonegin

Colonel
LCS 19 will be call USS St. Louis :)

THAt aside I'm not a big fan of either ships. They should've just built a proper frigate to replace the perry class.
All this littoral bs IMHO is just marketing hype and salesman talk.
A well armed and equipped frigate is ideal for green water operations. You want to go in closer? That's what riverines and rhibs are for.

A 4000 ton semi stealthy frigate with modular compartments with decent asw and anti air suite would've been perfect for the Navy. Could probably build 50 of them to last the next 50 years.

40+ kts looks nice on paper but operationally it is useless when the rest of the fleet sails at 30 kts.
You want to go fast you can use helos or specialized speedboats going to 50 kts even.
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
You are right Kwaig...but the ships have already sailed so to speak for the first 24 or so of these initial types (12 each) and then upgrade them as they can.

Then they are going to build 32 of a slightly enhanced version with a little better armament and built to a higher combat standard.

I hope the next admin ditches that last part and just builds 32 decent new frigates.
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Press about the naming of LCS-19 as St. Louis:

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US-Navys-New-LCS-to-Be-Named-USS-St_-Louis-1024x704.jpg

Naval Today said:
US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus recently announced that the next Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) will be named USS St. Louis.

The future USS St. Louis, designated LCS 19, will be the seventh ship to bear the name. The first St. Louis, a sloop of war, was launched in 1828. It spent the majority of its service patrolling the coasts of the Americas to secure interests and trade. In addition, it served as the flagship for the West Indies Squadron working to suppress piracy in the Caribbean Sea, the Antilles and the Gulf of Mexico region.

Mabus said, "The name St. Louis holds a strong naval legacy."

The LCS is designed to defeat littoral threats, and provide access and dominance in coastal waters. A fast, agile surface combatant, LCS provides war fighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute focused missions close to the shore, such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and surface warfare.

St. Louis will be built with modular design incorporating mission packages that can be changed out quickly as combat needs demand. These mission packages are supported by detachments that deploy manned and unmanned vehicles, and sensors in support of mine, undersea and surface warfare missions.

The ship will be 388 feet long, have a waterline beam length of 58 feet and make speeds in excess of 40 knots. The construction will be led by a Lockheed Martin industry team in Marinette, Wisconsin.

This means soon they will name the next Independence Class LCS, LCS-20. That will make ten of each type.
 

Jeff Head

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Kongsberg_NSM_Freedom_LCS_SAS-2015_2.jpg

CDEYVxiWMAAplWe.jpg

SD's own NavyRecognition said:
At the Navy League’s 2015 Sea-Air-Space Exposition which was held last week near Washington DC, Kongsberg was showcasing some new Freedom class and Independence class LCS models fitted with eight Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) each. These two models appear to be Kongsberg's "Bolt On" solution to the US Navy new need for an Over The Horizon (OTH) Anti-Ship Missile (ASM).

One year ago during
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, Kongsberg was already showcasing what we described at the time as "armed to the teeth" LCS with over 18x launchers each similar to those found on the
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corvettes of the Royal Norwegian Navy.

The "Bolt On" solution, while more conservative and simpler, was recently validated with a live launch: "We proved it could be done in less than 3 months" Hans Kongelf, Vice President of Missile Systems at Kongsberg, told us during Sea Air Space 2015. He was referring to the very short time the Kongsberg team needed to fit an NSM system on board USS Coronado (LCS 4) and perform a successful test with the US Navy
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.

Asked about the main strengths of the NSM, Hans Kongelf gave Navy Recognition three key points:

- Defense penetration capabilities thanks to its stealth, extremely low sea-skimming flight profile and high G maneuvers.

- Target recognition: Each NSM is fitted with a library of ship profiles to recognize each ship classes.

- NSM is available today, it is in production, fielded by the Royal Norwegian Navy, the Polish Navy and selected by Royal Malaysian Navy


Right before Sea Air Space 2015, Raytheon and Kongsberg announced they formed a teaming agreement for the NSM. The pact represents a second step in the companies' efforts to offer world-class Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) solutions to the many governments interested in this warfare mission. Raytheon and Kongsberg formed a similar agreement last year to develop the Joint Strike Missile, the air-launched version of the NSM.

This is very good news and EXACLTY what I have been talking about for years.

With this type of exposure and these types of proposals towards the US Navy OTH ASM requirement for the LCS...we are going to see these vessels getting the ASM they need.
 

kwaigonegin

Colonel
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This is very good news and EXACLTY what I have been talking about for years.

With this type of exposure and these types of proposals towards the US Navy OTH ASM requirement for the LCS...we are going to see these vessels getting the ASM they need.

Looks kinda short, what type of effective range does it have? Also those pair of quad launchers on the forcastle will make the semi stealthy LCS Into no stealth LOL... But I agree the trade offs are worth it for a good asm. There is only so much you can do to a hull like that.
 

Blitzo

Lieutenant General
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Interesting solution. I must say I never would have thought of putting the missiles there given the awkward positioning. I think this configuration would also hinder the doors/hatches to the bow deck for both designs, but especially independence design. Still I suppose it is a worthwhile sacrifice for a modern 180km range AShM...
But the fact that such a sacrifice is necessary makes me wonder if the original LCS designers even considered the possibility of adding slant launchers in the first place.
 

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
Looks kinda short, what type of effective range does it have? Also those pair of quad launchers on the forcastle will make the semi stealthy LCS Into no stealth LOL... But I agree the trade offs are worth it for a good asm. There is only so much you can do to a hull like that.
The NSM has a range of 185 km, or 100 nautical miles. Good solution.

And yes...with a bolt on quad canister, it hurts the stealth...but not as much as one might think.

Be nice if they could make the NSM (by working with Konigsberg) mate to an Mk-41 and place eight of those there forward on the Independence class, and four on the port and and four on the starboard side amidships on the Freedoms.
 
...

And when you compare the price of one strong, either medium weight or light weight torpedo to the price of a modern sub (which it is hunting) or to the price of the frigate or destroyer utself (which it is protecting)...it puts things in the right perspective.

I see, thanks Jeff ... so the best buy would be a sea-mine which blew away your rudder and broke the shaft :)
 
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