Littoral combat ship faces uncertain future.

• Author: Insinna, Valerie
• Position: Homeland Security News

On Feb. 24, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel confirmed rumors that had been swirling around the littoral combat ship program for months--instead of going forward with its planned 52 ship buy, purchases would be limited to 32.

The cuts were no surprise to anyone who had been following the program, which has long been troubled by cost overruns and reports of problems during testing and deployment. While the announcement is a major blow to prime contractors Lockheed Martin and Austal USA, there is a chance a modified version of the ship could emerge as the Navy's top choice to fill out its fleet.

Hagel's announcement halts contractual discussions beyond 2016, but that's after the next election, said Stu Slade, Forecast International's warships analyst. There could be major changes to the program once a new president and legislators are in office.

"This isn't a done deal. It's certainly a setback for the LCS program viewed in isolation, but it's one that could yet be reversed," he told National Defense.

Hagel sent Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert back to the drawing board, instructing them to evaluate more "capable and lethal" alternatives to the ship.

"The LCS was designed to perform certain missions, such as mine sweeping and anti-submarine warfare, in a relatively permissive environment. But we need to closely examine whether the LCS has the independent protection and firepower to operate and survive against a more advanced military adversary and emerging new technologies, especially in the Asia-Pacific," Hagel said in February.

"If we were to build out the LCS program to 52 ships, as previously planned, it would represent one-sixth of our future 300-ship Navy. Given continued fiscal restraints, we must direct future shipbuilding resources toward platforms that can operate in every region and along the full spectrum of conflict," he added.

Officials will consider new designs, existing vessels and a modified LCS, examining ship cost, delivery date, mission and weapons requirements and sensors, Hagel said in a memo obtained by Reuters.

Greenert and Sean Stackley, the Navy's acquisition lead, issued a directive in March establishing a small surface combatant task force to evaluate the Navy's options, including the lethality of possible ship designs to air, surface and undersea threats. The task force will be lead by John Burrow, executive director of the Marine Corps Systems Command. The task force's...