For decades, the US Navy has been the world’s most powerful ocean going force. It operates some of the most successful warship designs in recent history.
It also operates some with more…complex…stories.
In this episode we look at US efforts to develop a new generation of surface warships, including the LCS and Zumwalt Destroyers, and ask both what went wrong with these incredibly expensive projects and what we might be able to learn from them.
Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/PerunAU
Caveats, Comments and Corrections:
All normal caveats and disclaimers apply
In particular – I would like to note as always that this material has been created for entertainment purposes and is not intended to be a complete or comprehensive examination of the topic in question and should not be relied upon to inform financial or other similar decisions, judgements or evaluations.
In keeping with the above, nothing in this presentation should be taken to be an allegation of wrongdoing or any particular act or inaction by any individual or entity.
Sources have not been validated.
Readings and Sources:
US DOD – Selected Acquisition Report on LCS Mission Modules
https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Selected_Acquisition_Reports/FY_2021_SARS/22-F-0762_LCS_MM_SAR_2021.pdfv
US DOD – Selected Acquisition Report – Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)
https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/FOID/Reading%20Room/Selected_Acquisition_Reports/FY_2021_SARS/22-F-0762_LCS_SAR_2021.pdf
LCS Mission Modules Program – CAPT Gus Weekes Program
https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Portals/103/Documents/Exhibits/SAS2021/SAS2021-LittoralCombatShipMissionModules.pdf
CAPT Robert Powers (USN Retired) – Birth of the Littoral Combat Shiphttps://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2012/september/birth-littoral-combat-ship
Quadrennial Defence Review – 2001
https://history.defense.gov/Portals/70/Documents/quadrennial/QDR2001.pdf?ver=AFts7axkH2zWUHncRd8yUg%3d%3d
CRS – Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL33741/257
Navy DD(X) Destroyer Program: Background and Issues for Congress (2004
)https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA472596.pdf
CRS – Navy DDG-51 and DDG-1000 Destroyer Programs
https://sgp.fas.org/crs/weapons/RL32109.pdf
CBO – The Cost of the Navy’s New Frigate (features LCS lead ship cost graph)
https://www.cbo.gov/publication/56675
House Armed Services Committee – Projection forces subcommittee – 19 July 2005 https://commdocs.house.gov/committees/security/has200300.000/has200300_0f.htm
LCS breaking down on deployment
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/10/28/another-littoral-combat-breaks-down-on-deployment/
AGS being placed in storage
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/05/us-navy-discloses-155mm-advanced-gun-systems-preliminary-fate/v
AGS Rounds
https://news.usni.org/2016/11/07/navy-planning-not-buying-lrlap-rounds
Reporting on Zumwalt
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2021/03/25/what-should-become-of-the-zumwalt-class-the-us-navy-has-some-big-ideas
LCS Decommissioning
https://news.usni.org/2023/09/27/navy-to-decommission-littoral-combat-ships-uss-little-rock-uss-detroit-this-week
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2023/10/us-navy-commissions-one-lcs-decommissions-two/
US navy requests to decommission ships early
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2023/03/13/why-the-us-navy-wants-to-retire-eight-ships-early/
USN Considers non LCS options for MCM ships
https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2023/01/10/navy-considers-non-lcs-option-for-mine-countermeasures-in-5th-fleet/
Lieutenant Commander Steven Wills (USN Retired) – Why the LCS has been slow to deploy
https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/2019/august/why-lcs-has-been-slow-deploy
SC-21 program page (archived)
https://web.archive.org/web/20230000000000*/http://sc21.crane.navy.mil/
Featured report on LCS and the Red Sea
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/comment/2024/01/25/us-navy-red-sea-houthi-lcs-combat-ship-middle-east/
LCS Middle East Deployments
https://news.usni.org/2023/01/11/navy-wants-independence-lcs-in-bahrain-for-mine-countermeasure-mission
DDG(X) Design Contract Reporting
https://www.naval-technology.com/news/us-dod-renews-ddgx-design-contract-as-delivery-time-lengthens/
LCS MCM package reporting
https://news.usni.org/2023/05/12/navy-talks-details-on-lcs-mine-countermeaures-mission-package
Emma Salisbury – Lessons from the Littoral Combat Ship
https://warontherocks.com/2021/11/lessons-from-the-littoral-combat-ship/
Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Opening
00:00:53 — What Am I Talking About?
00:01:58 — Evolution of The US Navy
00:07:15 — LCS – The Beginning
00:15:29 — LCS – The Issues
00:23:10 — LCS – Lessons
00:34:59 — LCS – The Redemption
00:39:28 — DD(X) – The Beginning
00:46:02 — DD(X) – Lessons
00:50:55 — DD(X) – Redemption
00:56:15 — Reflection
01:05:47 — Update
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