DOCSLIB.ORG

Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Ronald O'Rourke Specialist in Naval Affairs February 5, 2014 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33741 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Summary The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a relatively inexpensive Navy surface combatant equipped with modular “plug-and-fight” mission packages for countering mines, small boats, and diesel- electric submarines, particularly in littoral (i.e., near-shore) waters. Navy plans call for fielding a total force of 52 LCSs. Sixteen LCSs have been funded from FY2005 through FY2013. The Navy’s proposed FY2014 budget requested $1,793.0 million for four more LCSs (LCSs 17 through 20), or an average of about $448 million per ship. Two very different LCS designs are being built. One was developed by an industry team led by Lockheed; the other was developed by an industry team that was led by General Dynamics. The Lockheed design is built at the Marinette Marine shipyard at Marinette, WI; the General Dynamics design is built at the Austal USA shipyard at Mobile, AL. LCSs 1, 3, 5, and so on are Marinette Marine-built ships; LCSs 2, 4, 6, and so on are Austal-built ships. The 20 LCSs procured or scheduled for procurement in FY2010-FY2015 (LCSs 5 through 24) are being procured under a pair of 10-ship, fixed-price incentive (FPI) block buy contracts that the Navy awarded to Lockheed and Austal USA on December 29, 2010. The LCS program has become controversial due to past cost growth, design and construction issues with the lead ships built to each design, concerns over the ships’ ability to withstand battle damage, and concerns over whether the ships are sufficiently armed and would be able to perform their stated missions effectively. Some observers, citing one or more of these issues, have proposed truncating the LCS program to either 24 ships (i.e., stopping procurement after procuring all the ships covered under the two block buy contracts) or to some other number well short of 52. Other observers have proposed down selecting to a single LCS design (i.e., continuing production of only one of the two designs) after the 24th ship. In response to criticisms of the LCS program, the Navy has acknowledged certain problems and stated that it was taking action to correct them, disputed other arguments made against the program, and maintained its support for completing the planned program of 52 ships. Reported comments from some Navy officials suggest that the Navy might be open to changing the design of one or both LCS variants after the 24th ship or perhaps down selecting to a single LCS design after the 24th ship. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) reportedly has directed the Navy to truncate the LCS program to a total of 24 to 32 ships, although the questions of whether to truncate the program, and if so to what new number, reportedly are still under discussion between OSD and the Navy. Issues for Congress concerning the LCS program include the following: • whether to truncate the LCS program to 24 ships, 32 ships, or some other number well short of 52; • the impact on the LCS program of the March 1, 2013, sequester on FY2013 funding and unobligated prior-year funding for the program; • whether procurement of LCS sea frames and mission modules should be slowed until operational testing of the sea frames and mission modules is more complete and other acquisition-process milestones are met; Congressional Research Service Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress • whether to down select to a single LCS design after the 24th ship; • technical risk in the LCS program; and • what defense-acquisition policy lessons, if any, the LCS program may offer to policymakers. Congressional Research Service Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Background ...................................................................................................................................... 1 The Program in General ............................................................................................................ 1 The LCS in Brief ................................................................................................................. 1 Planned Procurement Quantities ......................................................................................... 2 Two LCS Designs ................................................................................................................ 3 Two LCS Shipyards ............................................................................................................ 3 LCSs in Service ................................................................................................................... 3 Mission Package Deliveries Initial Operational Capability (IOC) Dates ............................ 5 Manning and Deployment Concept ..................................................................................... 5 Unit Procurement Cost Cap ................................................................................................. 6 Acquisition Cost .................................................................................................................. 6 Operation and Support (O&S) Cost .................................................................................... 8 Major Program Developments................................................................................................. 10 Growth in Sea Frame Procurement Costs ......................................................................... 10 2007 Program Restructuring and Ship Cancellations ........................................................ 11 2009 Down Select Acquisition Strategy (Not Implemented) ............................................ 11 2010 Dual-Award Acquisition Strategy (Implemented) .................................................... 12 Changes in Mission Package Equipment .......................................................................... 13 2012 Establishment of LCS Council ................................................................................. 13 Controversy and Proposals to Truncate the Program .............................................................. 14 Overview ........................................................................................................................... 14 OSD Support for Truncating Program to a Total of Between 24 and 32 Ships ................. 15 Reported Potential Navy Openness to Design Changes or Down Selecting to Single Design ................................................................................................................. 17 FY2014 Funding Request ........................................................................................................ 19 Issues for Congress ........................................................................................................................ 20 Should the Program Be Truncated to 24 Ships, 32 Ships, or Some Other Number Well Short of 52? .......................................................................................................................... 20 Arguments in Support of Truncating the Program ............................................................ 20 Arguments Against Truncating the Program ..................................................................... 22 July 2012 Press Report on Internal Navy Reviews of Program ........................................ 24 Executive Summary of Navy “Perez Report” on Program ............................................... 28 June 2013 Navy Blog Post ................................................................................................ 32 Impact of March 1, 2013, Sequester on FY2013 Funding ...................................................... 35 Should Procurement of LCS Sea Frames and Mission Modules Be Slowed Until Operational Testing Is More Complete? ............................................................................... 36 th Should There Be a Down Select to A Single LCS Design After the 24 Ship? ...................... 41 Technical Risk in LCS Program .............................................................................................. 42 Sea Frame .......................................................................................................................... 42 Mission Packages .............................................................................................................. 47 Defense-Acquisition Policy Lessons of LCS Program ............................................................ 50 Legislative Activity for FY2014 .................................................................................................... 51 FY2014 Funding Request ........................................................................................................ 51 FY2014 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 3304/P.L. 113-66) .................................. 51 House ................................................................................................................................. 51 Congressional Research Service Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress
    Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress September 16, 2021 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL32665 Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress Summary The current and planned size and composition of the Navy, the annual rate of Navy ship procurement, the prospective affordability of the Navy’s shipbuilding plans, and the capacity of the U.S. shipbuilding industry to execute the Navy’s shipbuilding plans have been oversight matters for the congressional defense committees for many years. In December 2016, the Navy released a force-structure goal that calls for achieving and maintaining a fleet of 355 ships of certain types and numbers. The 355-ship goal was made U.S. policy by Section 1025 of the FY2018 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2810/P.L. 115- 91 of December 12, 2017). The Navy and the Department of Defense (DOD) have been working since 2019 to develop a successor for the 355-ship force-level goal. The new goal is expected to introduce a new, more distributed fleet architecture featuring a smaller proportion of larger ships, a larger proportion of smaller ships, and a new third tier of large unmanned vehicles (UVs). On June 17, 2021, the Navy released a long-range Navy shipbuilding document that presents the Biden Administration’s emerging successor to the 355-ship force-level goal. The document calls for a Navy with a more distributed fleet architecture, including 321 to 372 manned ships and 77 to 140 large UVs. A September 2021 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report estimates that the fleet envisioned in the document would cost an average of between $25.3 billion and $32.7 billion per year in constant FY2021 dollars to procure.
    [Show full text]
  • The Cost of the Navy's New Frigate
    OCTOBER 2020 The Cost of the Navy’s New Frigate On April 30, 2020, the Navy awarded Fincantieri Several factors support the Navy’s estimate: Marinette Marine a contract to build the Navy’s new sur- face combatant, a guided missile frigate long designated • The FFG(X) is based on a design that has been in as FFG(X).1 The contract guarantees that Fincantieri will production for many years. build the lead ship (the first ship designed for a class) and gives the Navy options to build as many as nine addi- • Little if any new technology is being developed for it. tional ships. In this report, the Congressional Budget Office examines the potential costs if the Navy exercises • The contractor is an experienced builder of small all of those options. surface combatants. • CBO estimates the cost of the 10 FFG(X) ships • An independent estimate within the Department of would be $12.3 billion in 2020 (inflation-adjusted) Defense (DoD) was lower than the Navy’s estimate. dollars, about $1.2 billion per ship, on the basis of its own weight-based cost model. That amount is Other factors suggest the Navy’s estimate is too low: 40 percent more than the Navy’s estimate. • The costs of all surface combatants since 1970, as • The Navy estimates that the 10 ships would measured per thousand tons, were higher. cost $8.7 billion in 2020 dollars, an average of $870 million per ship. • Historically the Navy has almost always underestimated the cost of the lead ship, and a more • If the Navy’s estimate turns out to be accurate, expensive lead ship generally results in higher costs the FFG(X) would be the least expensive surface for the follow-on ships.
    [Show full text]
  • Significant Investments in the Littoral Combat Ship Continue Amid Substantial Unknowns About Capabilities, Use, and Cost
    United States Government Accountability Office Report to Congressional Requesters July 2013 NAVY SHIPBUILDING Significant Investments in the Littoral Combat Ship Continue Amid Substantial Unknowns about Capabilities, Use, and Cost GAO-13-530 July 2013 NAVY SHIPBUILDING Significant Investments in the Littoral Combat Ship Continue Amid Substantial Unknowns about Highlights of GAO-13-530, a report to congressional requesters Capabilities, Use, and Cost Why GAO Did This Study What GAO Found The Navy’s LCS consists of the ship— The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) seaframe program continues to face challenges called a seaframe—and mission stemming from concurrent design, production, and testing activities. The Navy packages, which provide combat has taken steps to resolve problems with the lead ships, and the shipyards are capability. LCS is intended to be beginning to realize benefits from facility improvements and experience. reconfigurable to perform three primary However, testing remains to be completed and the Navy is currently studying missions: surface warfare; mine potentially significant design changes, such as increasing the commonality of countermeasures; and anti-submarine systems between the two ship variants and changing ship capabilities. Changes warfare. The Navy currently plans to at this point can compromise the positive impacts of shipyard learning, increase buy 52 seaframes, including two costs, and prolong schedules. The mission module program also has variants being constructed at two U.S. concurrency issues, and testing to date has shown considerable limitations in shipyards, and 64 mission packages. The total estimated acquisition cost is capabilities. The Navy is pursuing an incremental approach to fielding mission about $40 billion in 2010 dollars.
    [Show full text]
  • The Littoral Combat Ship: Wrong Ship at the Right Time
    THE LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP: WRONG SHIP AT THE RIGHT TIME Lieutenant-Commander Ryan Verbenkov JCSP 47 PCEMI 47 Service Paper Étude militaire Disclaimer Avertissement Opinions expressed remain those of the author and do Les opinons exprimées n’engagent que leurs auteurs et not represent Department of National Defence or ne reflètent aucunement des politiques du Ministère de Canadian Forces policy. This paper may not be used la Défense nationale ou des Forces canadiennes. Ce without written permission. papier ne peut être reproduit sans autorisation écrite. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the © Sa Majesté la Reine du Chef du Canada, représentée par le Minister of National Defence, 2021. ministre de la Défense nationale, 2021. CANADIAN FORCES COLLEGE - COLLÈGE DES FORCES CANADIENNES JCSP 47 - PCEMI 47 2020 - 2021 SERVICE PAPER – ÉTUDE MILITAIRE THE LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP: WRONG SHIP AT THE RIGHT TIME By Lieutenant-Commander Ryan Verbenkov “This paper was written by a candidate « La présente étude a été rédigée par un attending the Canadian Forces College stagiaire du Collège des Forces in fulfillment of one of the requirements canadiennes pour satisfaire à l’une des of the Course of Studies. The paper is a exigences du cours. L’étude est un scholastic document, and thus contains document qui se rapporte au cours et facts and opinions which the author contient donc des faits et des opinions alone considered appropriate and que seul l’auteur considère appropriés et correct for the subject. It does not convenables au sujet. Elle ne reflète pas necessarily reflect the policy or the nécessairement la politique ou l’opinion opinion of any agency, including the d’un organisme quelconque, y compris Government of Canada and the le gouvernement du Canada et le Canadian Department of National ministère de la Défense nationale du Defence.
    [Show full text]
  • The Navy Littoral Combat Ship Program Committee on Armed Services House of Representatives
    i [H.A.S.C. No. 111–18] THE NAVY LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP PROGRAM HEARING BEFORE THE SEAPOWER AND EXPEDITIONARY FORCES SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED ELEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION HEARING HELD MARCH 10, 2009 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 54–408 WASHINGTON : 2010 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 SEAPOWER AND EXPEDITIONARY FORCES SUBCOMMITTEE GENE TAYLOR, Mississippi, Chairman SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas W. TODD AKIN, Missouri JAMES R. LANGEVIN, Rhode Island ROB WITTMAN, Virginia RICK LARSEN, Washington ROSCOE G. BARTLETT, Maryland BRAD ELLSWORTH, Indiana J. RANDY FORBES, Virginia JOE COURTNEY, Connecticut DUNCAN HUNTER, California JOE SESTAK, Pennsylvania MIKE COFFMAN, Colorado GLENN NYE, Virginia THOMAS J. ROONEY, Florida CHELLIE PINGREE, Maine ERIC J.J. MASSA, New York WILL EBBS, Professional Staff Member JENNESS SIMLER, Professional Staff Member ELIZABETH DRUMMOND, Staff Assistant (II) C O N T E N T S CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF HEARINGS 2009 Page HEARING: Tuesday, March 10, 2009, The Navy Littoral Combat Ship Program ................. 1 APPENDIX: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 ........................................................................................ 43 TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2009 THE NAVY LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP PROGRAM STATEMENTS PRESENTED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS Akin, Hon. W. Todd, a Representative from Missouri, Ranking Member, Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee .......................................... 3 Taylor, Hon. Gene, a Representative from Mississippi, Chairman, Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee ........................................................... 1 WITNESSES Guillory, Rear Adm. Victor G., USN, Director, Surface Warfare Division, N86, U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)/Frigate Program: Background and Issues for Congress
    Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)/Frigate Program: Background and Issues for Congress Ronald O'Rourke Specialist in Naval Affairs June 12, 2015 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33741 Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)/Frigate Program: Background and Issues for Congress Summary The Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)/Frigate program is a program to procure 52 LCSs and frigates. The first LCS was funded in FY2005, and a total of 23 have been funded through FY2015. The Navy’s proposed FY2016 budget requests the procurement of three more LCSs. The Navy estimates the combined procurement cost of these three ships at $1,437.0 million, or an average of $479.0 million each. The three ships have received a total of $80 million in prior-year advance procurement (AP) funding, and the Navy’s FY2016 budget requests the remaining $1,357.0 million that is needed to complete their combined procurement cost. From 2001 to 2014, the program was known simply as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, and all 52 planned ships were referred to as LCSs. In 2014, at the direction of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, the program was restructured. As a result of the restructuring, the Navy now wants to build the final 20 ships in the program (ships 33 through 52) to a revised version of the baseline LCS design. The Navy intends to refer to these 20 ships, which the Navy wants to procure in FY2019 and subsequent fiscal years, as frigates rather than LCSs. The Navy has indicated that it may also want to build ships 25 through 32 with at least some of the design changes now intended for the final 20 ships.
    [Show full text]
  • Littoral Combat Ship an Examination of Its Possible Concepts of Operation
    Center for Strategi C and Budgetary a S S e ssm e n t S Littoral Combat Ship An Examination of its Possible Concepts of Operation By Martin n. Murphy littoral combat ship: an examination of its possible concepts of operation By Martin N. Murphy 2010 © 2010 Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. All rights reserved. about the center for strategic and budgetary assessments The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) is an independent, nonpartisan policy research institute established to promote innovative thinking and debate about national security strategy and investment options. CSBA’s goal is to enable policymakers to make informed decisions on matters of strategy, security policy and resource allocation. CSBA provides timely, impartial and insightful analyses to senior decision mak- ers in the executive and legislative branches, as well as to the media and the broader national security community. CSBA encourages thoughtful participation in the de- velopment of national security strategy and policy, and in the allocation of scarce human and capital resources. CSBA’s analysis and outreach focus on key questions related to existing and emerging threats to US national security. Meeting these challenges will require transforming the national security establishment, and we are devoted to helping achieve this end. about the author Dr. Martin Murphy joined CSBA in fall 2008 bringing with him a research focus on naval warfare, maritime irregular warfare, mari- time security, piracy and transnational criminal threats. He is the author of Small Boats, Weak States, Dirty Money, a major study of criminal and political disorder at sea published by Columbia University Press in Spring 2009, and Contemporary Piracy and Maritime Terrorism, an Adelphi Paper published by the London- based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in 2007.
    [Show full text]
  • Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
    Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Ronald O'Rourke Specialist in Naval Affairs May 24, 2013 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33741 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Summary The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a relatively inexpensive Navy surface combatant equipped with modular “plug-and-fight” mission packages for countering mines, small boats, and diesel- electric submarines, particularly in littoral (i.e., near-shore) waters. Navy plans call for fielding a total force of 52 LCSs. Twelve LCSs were funded from FY2005 through FY2012. Another four (LCSs 13 through 16) were funded in FY2013, although funding for those four ships has been reduced by the March 1, 2013, sequester on FY2013 funding. The Navy’s proposed FY2014 budget requests $1,793.0 million for four more LCSs (LCSs 17 through 20). Two very different LCS designs are being built. One was developed by an industry team led by Lockheed; the other was developed by an industry team that was led by General Dynamics. The Lockheed design is built at the Marinette Marine shipyard at Marinette, WI; the General Dynamics design is built at the Austal USA shipyard at Mobile, AL. LCSs 1, 3, 5, and so on are Marinette Marine-built ships; LCSs 2, 4, 6, and so on are Austal-built ships. The 20 LCSs procured or scheduled for procurement in FY2010-FY2015 (LCSs 5 through 24) are being procured under a pair of 10-ship, fixed-price incentive (FPI) block buy contracts that the Navy awarded to Lockheed and Austal USA on December 29, 2010.
    [Show full text]
  • Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress
    Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress Ronald O'Rourke Specialist in Naval Affairs April 29, 2011 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov RL33741 CRS Report for Congress Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program Summary The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a relatively inexpensive Navy surface combatant equipped with modular “plug-and-fight” mission packages. The Navy wants to field a force of 55 LCSs. The first two LCSs (LCS-1 and LCS-2) were procured in FY2005 and FY2006 and were commissioned into service on November 8, 2008, and January 16, 2010. Another two (LCS-3 and LCS-4) were procured in FY2009 and are under construction. Two more (LCS-5 and LCS-6) were procured in FY2010 and are under contract. The Navy’s proposed FY2011 budget requested funding to procure an additional two (LCS-7 and LCS-8). Although the Navy’s FY2011 funding has not yet been fully determined, the Navy announced on March 17 that it had brought these two ships under contract. The Navy’s proposed FY2012 budget requests funding to procure four more (LCSs 9 through 12). Navy plans call for procuring an additional 15 LCSs in FY2013-FY2016 in annual quantities of 4-4-4-3. There are two very different LCS designs—one developed and produced by an industry team led by Lockheed, and another developed and produced by an industry team led by General Dynamics. The Lockheed design is built at the Marinette Marine shipyard at Marinette, WI; the General Dynamics design is built at the Austal USA shipyard at Mobile, AL.
    [Show full text]
  • Gao-21-172, Littoral Combat Ship
    United States Government Accountability Office Report to the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives April 2021 LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP Unplanned Work on Maintenance Contracts Creates Schedule Risk as Ships Begin Operations GAO-21-172 April 2021 LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP Unplanned Work on Maintenance Contracts Creates Schedule Risk as Ships Begin Operations Highlights of GAO-21-172, a report to the Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives Why GAO Did This Study What GAO Found The Navy plans to spend The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a class of small surface ships with two unique approximately $61 billion to operate design variants. Both LCS variants carry smaller crews and rely more on and maintain LCS a class of small , contractors for maintenance than any other Navy ship. While this strategy was surface ships equipped with intended to reduce operating costs, it contributes to challenges in the Navy’s interchangeable sensors and weapons. strategy for contracted maintenance. Specifically: With limited operations to date, these ships have entered the Navy’s Contractor travel. U.S. law states that foreign contractors generally cannot maintenance cycle. Since 2005, GAO conduct certain types of LCS maintenance. This results in the Navy paying for has reported extensively on LCS contractors to regularly travel overseas to perform routine maintenance. GAO’s issues, including ships delivered late sample of 18 delivery orders showed estimated travel costs for the orders and with increased costs and less reviewed ranged from a few thousand dollars to over $1 million. capability than planned. The Navy also encountered problems as LCS entered Heavy reliance on original equipment manufacturers.
    [Show full text]
  • Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress
    Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Updated October 22, 2018 Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov RL33741 Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background and Issues for Congress Summary The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a relatively inexpensive surface combatant equipped with modular mission packages. Navy plans call for procuring a total of 32 LCSs. The first LCS was procured in FY2005, and the Navy’s proposed FY2018 budget requested the procurement of the 30th and 31st LCSs. As part of its action on the Navy’s proposed FY2018 budget, Congress procured three LCSs—one more than the two that were requested. Thus, a total of 32 LCSs have been procured through FY2018. The Navy’s proposed FY2019 budget, which was submitted to Congress before Congress finalized action on the Navy’s FY2018 budget, requests $646.2 million for the procurement of one LCS. If Congress had procured two LCSs in FY2018, as requested by the Navy, the LCS requested for procurement in FY2019 would have been the 32nd LCS. With the procurement of three LCSs in FY2018, the LCS requested for procurement in FY2019 would be the 33rd LCS. The Navy’s plan for achieving and maintaining a 355-ship fleet includes a goal for achieving and maintaining a force of 52 small surface combatants (SSCs). The Navy’s plan for achieving that goal is to procure 32 LCSs, and then procure 20 new frigates, called FFG(X)s, with the first FFG(X) to be procured in FY2020. Multiple industry teams are now competing for the FFG(X) program.
    [Show full text]
  • GAO-17-279T, Littoral Combat Ship and Frigate
    United States Government Accountability Office Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives For Release on Delivery Expected at 9:00 a.m. ET Thursday, December 8, 2016 LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP AND FRIGATE Slowing Planned Frigate Acquisition Would Enable Better-Informed Decisions Statement of Michele Mackin, Director, Acquisition and Sourcing Management GAO-17-279T December 8, 2016 LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP AND FRIGATE Slowing Planned Frigate Acquisition Would Enable Better-Informed Decisions Highlights of GAO-17-279T, a testimony before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives Why GAO Did This Study What GAO Found The Navy envisioned a revolutionary The Navy’s vision for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program has evolved approach for the LCS program: dual significantly over the last 15 years, reflecting degradations of the underlying ship designs with interchangeable business case. Initial plans to experiment with two different prototype ships mission packages intended to provide adapted from commercial designs were abandoned early in favor of an mission flexibility at a lower cost. This acquisition approach that committed to numerous ships before proving their approach has fallen short, with capabilities. Cost, schedule, and capability expectations have eroded over time, significant cost increases and reduced as shown in the table below. More recently, the Navy attributed a series of expectations about mission flexibility engineering casualties on delivered LCS to shortfalls in crew training, seaframe and performance. The Navy has design, and construction quality. changed acquisition approaches several times. The latest change involves minor upgrades to an LCS Evolution of Expectations for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program design—referred to now as a frigate.
    [Show full text]