CRS On LCS

The Congressional Research Service has issued a new report on the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship program.

The June 25 report -- obtained by Secrecy News -- outlines key issues for lawmakers:

The Navy's request for three rather than four LCSs in FY2015 and Hagel's February 24 announcement that "no new contract negotiations beyond 32 ships will go forward" and that the Navy is to submit "alternative proposals to procure a capable and lethal small surface combatant, generally consistent with the capabilities of a frigate" raise several potential oversight issues for Congress, including the Navy's plan for determining which of the two LCS builders would receive one LCS in FY2015 rather than two, and the analytical basis for the actions affecting the LCS program announced by Hagel on February 24. . . .

The LCS program has been controversial due to past cost growth, design and construction issues with the lead ships built to each design, concerns over the ships’ survivability (i.e., ability to withstand battle damage), and concerns over whether the ships are sufficiently armed and would be able to perform their stated missions effectively. Prior to Secretary Hagel's February 24, 2014, announcement, some observers, citing one or more of these issues, had proposed truncating the LCS program. In response to criticisms of the LCS program, the Navy has acknowledged certain problems and stated that it was taking action to correct them, disputed other arguments made against the program, and (until Hagel's February 24, 2014, announcement) maintained its support for completing the planned program of 52 ships.

Inside the Navy reported earlier this month that Lockheed Martin recently submitted a proposal to the Navy for an option to upgrade its Freedom-class LCS with already designed modifications:

Lockheed recently responded to the Navy's request for information on potential designs suited to the service's requirements for a future small surface combatant, issued April 30, Joe North, Lockheed's vice president of littoral ship systems, said June 9 at Lockheed Martin's annual media day in Crystal City, VA.

"The RFIs were due earlier this month, actually in May. We did answer the mail on that from our end with options to upgrade the existing Freedom-class ship," North told reporters.

Lockheed's proposal includes options derived from designs the company has developed for potential international customers, North said. It offers new technologies such as more advanced radars, additional firepower in the form of the Longbow missile, and a modular vertical launch system, he added.

The existing Mk41 Vertical Launch System (VLS) is a multimission launcher that shoots a variety of missiles, including Raytheon's Tomahawk cruise missile, the Standard Missile-2, SM-3, SM-6 and the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM), Brian Bohs, Lockheed's business development manager for controls, launchers and weapons area, told Inside the Navy in a June 12 interview.