Earlier this month, the first Littoral Combat Ship was finally launched. The LCS is a multi-mission configurable vessel that is geared towards littoral missions. The armament and sensor fit will, of course, vary. The LCS is capable of over 40 knots and has space for landing a helicopter. The cost per vessel was said to be in the region of over 200 million USD. Considering the price of a current and more capable destroyer at 1 billion USD, the limited and specialised LCS appears reasonable.
Quoting from Global Security:
"The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a small specialised variant of the DD(X) family of future surface combat ships. LCS complements, but does not replace, the capabilities of DD(X) and CG(X). The Littoral Combat Ship will take advantage of the newest generation hull form and will have modularity and scalability built in. It focuses on mission capabilities, affordability, and life cycle costs."
Quoting from StrategyPage:
"The nation’s first Littoral Combat Ship, Freedom (LCS 1) – the inaugural ship in an entirely new class of U.S. Navy surface warships – makes a spectacular side launch during her christening at the Marinette Marine shipyard."
Images:
Strategy Page article
Global Security article
Federation of American Scientists article
The FAS site has an article on congressional issues. A lot of it is regarding procurement and policy information generally.
Image source:
Lockheed Martin
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