John Gourley

Littoral Combat Ships in Action John Gourley

Sea power in the 21st Century is rapidly taking on a new look, vastly different from the massive and ponderous navies of the past. Littoral combat ships (LCSs) are a class of small surface vessels that are meant to operate in coastal areas where they can neutralize the many fluid localized threats that are so characteristic of the modern age. Designed for deployment in place of the destroyer or cruiser, the LCS was envisaged by the Navy as a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats. The US Navy operates two basic classes of LCS: the Freedom class and the Independence class, the latter is a trimaran. In keeping with the basic LCS concept, crew size, like the size of the vessel itself, is small. Deployments thus involve 50-percent fewer ships and 25-percent smaller crews than previously, the technical sophistication, versatility, and speed of the LCS more than makes up for the difference in quantity. LCS versatility is partly in the vessel's ability to be reconfigured for different duties and roles by changing mission modules (weapon systems, sensors, etc.) that are designed for specific types of task. Specific personnel accompany relevant modules. Modules have been designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), mine hunting (MCM), surface warfare (SUW), and special warfare missions.