The implementation of all projects in the military sphere is associated with one or another problem. In some cases, certain difficulties or shortcomings persist for a long time, which becomes a reason for additional criticism of the project. Finally, some projects, as they develop, cannot get rid of existing shortcomings, as a result of which their future becomes a subject of controversy. Such processes are especially sensitive in cases when the project has managed to reach the serial production and operation of products or equipment of a new type. A similar situation has been observed around the American LCS project over the past few years.
The goal of the LCS (Littoral Combat Ship) project was to create two versions of a promising ship suitable for solving some special tasks. The design work was completed quite a long time ago, thanks to which, by now, the US Navy has managed to receive several ships of two types. Nevertheless, a number of problems of the two projects have not yet been resolved. Over the past years, the military and political leadership of the United States has been trying to determine the real capabilities and prospects of the LCS ships, as well as to correct the current situation. Not so long ago, the next stage of discussions of the project at the highest level began.
Ship USS Freedom (LCS-1). Photo by US Navy
The impetus for the latest developments was the release of a report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) entitled “Littoral Combat Ship and Frigate. Congress Faced with Critical Acquisition Decisions”. The auditors examined the current state of affairs with one of the most interesting contemporary projects in the United States. GAO specialists reviewed the current situation, identified certain problems, and also issued some recommendations.
In the preface of its report, the Accounts Chamber recalls the prerequisites for the current situation. Earlier, the United States naval forces developed a bold concept involving the creation of two projects of marine technology at once with a wide range of applications. It was proposed to use a modular architecture of ships with the use of packages of special equipment. With the help of this, it was planned to simplify the construction and operation of ships for various purposes. Later it turned out that in practice the new approach did not allow to achieve a reduction in the cost of ships, and also does not provide the required flexibility in the use of ships.
Despite the existing technical and economic problems, the naval forces still need new ships. Because of this, the feasibility of continuing work on the LCS topic is currently being considered. There are proposals to abandon this program, but at the same time there is an opinion about the need to change projects in order to eliminate the identified shortcomings.
The authors of the report from the GAO remind that work on the LCS project started 15 years ago. During this time, the project achieved some success, but at the same time there was a significant deterioration in the appearance of the ships and repeated postponements of the execution of certain works. In addition, the rise in the cost of ships led to a reduction in their required number. So, initially it was planned to order 55 ships worth $ 220 million each. Currently, plans for the purchase have been reduced to 40 ships at 478 million each. Initial operational readiness was originally planned for 2007, but in practice this only happened in 2013. It was assumed that ships for various purposes would be maximally unified, but in practice, quick re-equipment turned out to be impossible. The maximum speed of the LCS ships of all modifications was supposed to reach 50 knots, the cruising range - up to 1000 nautical miles at a speed of 40 knots. Built LCS ships in practice show different characteristics. For some time now, concerns have been expressed about the survivability of ships.
Currently, an urgent issue in the context of the further development of the LCS project is drawing up plans for the coming years. So, the navy wants to order two new ships in the basic configuration in the 2017 financial year. It is also planned to get congressional approval to order the next batch of a dozen ships. The first ship of this series is expected to be ordered in the 2018 fiscal year. In the context of such plans of the navy, doubts are expressed about the advisability of the proposed orders. The construction of ships has long gone beyond the original estimate, and in addition, the project failed to obtain the required capabilities and characteristics.
A significant part of the report “Littoral Combat Ship and Frigate. Congress Faced with Critical Acquisition Decisions”is dedicated to the past events within the LCS program. GAO specialists recalled the progress of the project, as well as the problems that ultimately led to the current difficult situation. Existing plans and proposals are also considered, and in addition, the features and consequences of their implementation are assessed. Based on the results of considering the prerequisites and the current situation itself, the Accounts Chamber draws certain conclusions and issues its own recommendations.
In the final part of the report, its authors note that the LCS program is really needed by the naval forces. The required ships, as shown by the project and the results obtained, can be used with some success by the naval forces. At the same time, the most serious problem of new projects is economic difficulties, which have already led to a significant cost of the entire program as a whole and each ship in particular.
By now, two main questions have been formed, which in the near future will have to be answered by Congress. The solution of these issues will allow continuing work on the program, obtaining certain results. The first question concerns the financing of the construction of new ships in 2017. Now at the shipyards involved in the LCS project, several ships are at different stages of construction. The appearance of an additional order for one more ship can lead to additional loading of shipbuilding enterprises with the possible appearance of corresponding unpleasant consequences.
The second question relates to the more distant future and stipulates a larger number of ships. In 2018, the United States Navy expects to begin ordering a series of 12 LCS ships in different versions. If this proposal is approved by legislators, an annual allocation for the construction of ships will be required over the next few years. At the same time, Congress will retain the ability to control the program by changing its funding. However, in this case, some new problems may arise, first of all, a shift in the completion date.
In this situation, the US Congress has a very important role, since it is he who has to make the final decision on the start of certain works, as well as on the amount of their funding. In the near future, congressmen will have to re-examine the situation and make their decision. Depending on their decisions, existing proposals will be implemented in their original form or will undergo certain changes.
Ship USS Independence (LCS-2). Photo by US Navy
The report of the US Accounts Chamber has been published and is now available to everyone. Over the past few days, this document has become the topic of a lot of discussions. In addition, the other day the topic of further development of the Littoral Combat Ship project was again raised in Congress. The current situation with the project once again became the reason for threatening statements and demands for its clarification. The platform for such speeches was a special meeting held in Congress last Thursday, December 8th.
The American conservative edition Washington Examiner writes about the course and results of the meeting. In Pentagon's top tester: Littoral ships 'have a near-zero chance of completing a 30-day mission' by Jamie McIntyre, published on 12 December, there are several interesting quotes from responsible persons and other relevant information.
At the beginning of the article about the meeting, the words of Senator John McCain are quoted, who criticized the entire course of the LCS project and outlined its main mistakes. In his opinion, the failures of the LCS program, as in the case of other unsuccessful developments, were the result of the inability of the responsible persons to define and optimize the requirements for the project, errors in financial planning, technical assessment and identification of risks. The situation was aggravated by the fact that the military department began to buy ships and special equipment for them before the possibility of their joint operation was confirmed.
Senator Lindsay Graham, who also represents the Republican Party, was more rude. He stated that the LCS program had completely failed. To get rid of the existing problems, he simply advised someone to fire.
An important statement was made by the head of the Pentagon's Office of Operational Tests and Evaluations, Michael Gilmore. He stated that the United States Navy's eight Littoral Combat Ship group does not have high combat capabilities. According to M. Gilmore, the chances of ships to successfully complete combat missions within a 30-day period tend to zero. In the course of such work, failures of one or several systems are possible, taking ships out of battle.
Another bold and even frightening statement came from Paul Francis, a spokesman for the Accounts Chamber. He outlined the current situation as follows: 26 ships have already been ordered, but still no one knows if they will be able to do their job.
American lawmakers once again discussed the problems of the LCS program and, perhaps, now have some considerations regarding further work on such ships and how to get out of the current negative situation. However, so far no information on this matter has been announced. Apparently, real steps - if they appear - will only be taken in the future. What exactly the congressmen will do is not yet fully clear. A recent GAO report suggests starting a way out of the situation by addressing two questions about the construction of new ships, which may become the last representatives of their project.
The Littoral Combat Ship program was launched in the first half of the 2000s. The purpose of the work was to create a promising warship capable of operating in the coastal zone and solving a wide range of various tasks. In order to facilitate the "development" of a specific specialty, it was decided to create a basic platform on which a set of appropriate weapons and equipment should be mounted. In this case, it became possible to replace obsolete ships of several types for different purposes. From a certain time, within the framework of the general program, two ship projects were developed at once, which had significant differences.
During the implementation of the LCS program, Lockheed Martin developed a project for a "traditional" single-hull design with a length of 115 m and a total displacement of 2840 tons. The ship was proposed to be equipped with a combined power plant with diesel and gas turbine engines, providing a maximum speed of 45 knots. The ship was supposed to carry missile and artillery weapons for various purposes. In addition, the ability to carry a helicopter and transport goods was required.
The second version of the project was created by General Dynamics. Such a ship has a length of 127 m and a displacement of 2,640 tons. A characteristic feature of this version of the LCS is the hull, built according to the trimaran scheme. The use of a combined diesel and gas turbine power plant with water jet propellers is proposed. Weapons and target equipment are selected in accordance with the intended role of a particular ship.
New LCS ship construction schedule outlined in the GAO report
The lead ship for the Lockheed Martin project, named USS Freedom (LCS-1), was laid down in mid-2005. The ship USS Independence (LCS-2), built according to an alternative design, was laid down in early 2006. The lead ships of the two projects entered the US Navy in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Subsequently, the construction of the ships was continued. To date, contracts have been signed for 26 ships of two types. Several contracts have already been completed.
On September 10, 2016, the USS Montgomery (LCS-8) was handed over to the customer, which became the fourth ship built according to the General Dynamincs project. Three other ships are being completed at the wall or are being tested. Two more are under construction. On October 22, the US Navy received the USS Detroit (LCS-7), the fourth to be built according to the Lockheed Martin project. Three other ships of this project have been launched and one remains in the assembly shop. Thus, there are already eight ships in service, six more will enter service in the near future.
According to existing plans, in total, the United States Navy should receive four dozen LCS ships of two types, which also differ in the composition of weapons and special equipment. In the near future, Congress will have to decide on the further fate of the 14 remaining ships, which have not even become the subject of a contract. Fleet Command plans to order two ships in fiscal 2017. At the same time, it is planned to obtain permission to order a series of 12 last ships. The construction of the first of them will begin in 2018. However, so far such plans have not gone beyond the draft military budget and need approval from Congress.
In accordance with existing contracts, over the next few years, the US Navy will have to receive 26 ships of two projects. About 14 billion dollars have already been spent on the development of projects and payment of these contracts. Completion of the planned 14 ships could cost about 6 billion. As a result of this, the fleet will receive all the required ships, in theory capable of solving a wide range of tasks. At the same time, at the moment, the state and capabilities of the LCS ships are far from fully satisfying the military. Because of this, already built equipment may need additional modernization.
At the moment, the Littoral Combat Ship program looks extremely interesting. It was based on an original proposal that made it possible to save on the construction and operation of equipment. Subsequently, the development of projects faced serious problems of various kinds, due to which not all of the tasks were solved. Moreover, over time, some new problems made themselves felt. As a result, as P. Francis aptly put it, 26 ships were ordered, but no one knows if they will be able to do their job. Time will tell what will be done next and how the US military and political leadership plans to get out of this situation. Perhaps, in this he will be helped by the conclusions and proposals of the Accounts Chamber, expressed in the recent report.
