Navy intends to release solicitation for LCS planning work in February

The Navy intends to award a contract in October for Littoral Combat Ship planning yard support, according to industry day presentation slides.

An LCS planning yard support presolicitation synopsis is scheduled to be posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website in January. The service anticipates releasing a request for proposals for the work in February, according to Dec. 7 industry day slides posted on FedBizOpps.

Vendor responsibilities include developing ship installation drawings, ship change document updates, operating cycle integration program management, work integration package engineering, ship configuration logistics information system support, configuration data management, research engineering and modeling, according to a Nov. 20 sources-sought notice.

The planning yard sources-sought notice also notes the vendor is responsible for conducting cost and feasibility studies, coordinating with the service's regional maintenance centers, and hull mechanical and engineering standardization.

For instance, the Navy outlines in presentation slides "notional availability and periodicity" for LCS maintenance. A selected restricted availability lasts about 27 weeks and needs to be conducted ever 64 months for the Freedom-class variant.

The dry-docking selected restricted availability takes 25 weeks for both LCS variants. The Freedom-class variant, which is built by Lockheed Martin, needs a DSRA performed every 64 months, while the Independence-variant, built by Austal USA, requires the work every 32 months.

LCS necessitates a quarterly continuous maintenance availability that lasts for two weeks. This includes corrective and emergent maintenance that is performed both stateside and abroad. The vessels require a preventative and planned maintenance availability monthly that last five days.