Jump to content

Littoral Combat Ship News


shep854

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 222
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

If you want to disappear in a Florida city harbor, paint it white, name it the Miss Behavin, and have some bikini babes catching rays on the foredeck.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Freedom departs for Singapore on 1 March:

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/02/25/lcs-ready-for-first-overseas-deployment.html?ESRC=eb.nl

 

LCS Ready for First Overseas Deployment

 

"SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan -- The Navy’s USS Freedom will set sail for Singapore on March 1, the inaugural overseas trip for the beleaguered Littoral Combat Ship program.

"During its eight-month deployment, the Freedom will conduct maritime security operations as well as participate in international exhibitions and exercises, according to a Navy announcement last week."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

That will be excellent if they ever have to fight harbor pirates or riverine enemies in a megapolis.

 

Yes, Lots of riverine pirates in the Singapore, disguised as pubs and other such eateries, charging a king's ransome for mediocre fare. They should just sail up river and start blasting them from the water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would be an awesome addition to the Marina Bay Sands Casino & Resort as a high security floating casino to sail to Phuket or Bali.They could even do an ABDA cruise, complete with torpedo drills and AA fire!

 

Err, why else is half the ship open space? They need the room to set up the mahjong tables, poker, and baccarat tables. I am sure they will try to pursuade the the local USN contingent to park the LCS next to the barge for National Day and wow the peasants.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Freedom's power outages.

 

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_03_22_2013_p0-562016.xml

 

 

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS-1) USS Freedom’s first overseas deployment to Southeast Asia has been marred by two more power outages, the U.S. Navy says.

The most recent two this week — including one March 21 — brings the outage total to three, all during the ship’s transit from Pearl Harbor to Guam en route to Singapore, says U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Darryn James.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can these LCS be turned into air-defense frigates?

 

I would imagine that the modular design allows the USN to drop SAM modules into the ships.

 

But what about other things such as radars & electronics?

 

"Air defense" implies command of a large volume of space around the ship, so that it can protect a task force rather than just defend itself. In US service, that means the Aegis system, which requires a massive radar and associated fire control system, firing the full-size long-range SM-series missiles. This is what the DDG51 series destroyers are for, and I can't see a system like that fitting into LCS.

 

On the other hand, smaller missiles and less capable radar systems could be fitted for local defence.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Air defense" implies command of a large volume of space around the ship, so that it can protect a task force rather than just defend itself. In US service, that means the Aegis system, which requires a massive radar and associated fire control system, firing the full-size long-range SM-series missiles. This is what the DDG51 series destroyers are for, and I can't see a system like that fitting into LCS.


Right now RIM-162 ESSM has an operational range of about 27 nautical miles from a 620~ lb missile.


This compares favorably with the 25~ nautical mile range of the RIM-66E SM-1MR Block VI/VIA/VIB Standard missile which weighed 1,100~ lbs, and what the FFG-7s had.

 

25~ NM is about when you start going from "Defend self" to "Defend others around you". It also is the minimum credible AAW capability now in a world with proliferating anti-ship missiles -- Hizbollah has anti-ship missiles.

 

This is what frustrates me so much about LCS -- the Navy decided that it was perfectly OK with equipping a $400~ million surface combatant with 'last ditch' point defenses -- the 57mm gun forward and the 5 nautical mile ranged Rolling Airframe Missile.

 

It means that LCS can't even perform the "Escort stuff around" role credibly in today's threat environment, much less the environment of 20 years from now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, the 57mm gun is apparently proving unreliable in service on LCS, due to being shaken around horridly at 40+ knot speeds.


This is darkly ironic, since the 57mm was picked to replace the OTO 76mm because it would be more reliable than the 76mm, thus increasing overall lethality; as you would have a gun that actually was in service more often than not, and could fire more rounds in a typical combat engagement than the OTO 76mm which would go:

"BANG BANG BA--CLUNK".

Edited by MKSheppard
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...