Did The U.S. Navy 'Steal' The Concept For Its Littoral Combat Ship?

MC1 JAMES R. EVANS/U.S. NAVY

David Axe, Daily Beast: Did the Navy Steal Its New Warship Designs?

It’s the cornerstone of the U.S. Navy’s future fleet. And a legendary ship-designer says the idea was all his.

It’s been rough sailing for the U.S. Navy’s new Littoral Combat Ship. The speedy, warship has come under fire for being lightly-armed, weakly-built, undermanned, and prone to rusting—and yet, at the same time, way too expensive.

And in recent months, four of the 400-foot-long warships—half of the Littoral Combat Ships currently in commission—have suffered serious engine breakdowns, possible signs of systemic problems with the ship’s design and operating procedures.

As if that weren’t enough for the beleaguered vessel, David Giles, a prominent ship-designer, is accusing the Navy of stealing his concepts for a high-speed cargo ship and illegally applying them to the $500-million-a-copy Littoral Combat Ship.

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Update #1: Did the Navy steal the design for one of its new Littoral Combat Ships? -- Extreme Tech
Update #2: U.S. Navy being sued in Littoral Combat Ship patent case -- Al.com

WNU Editor: Legal issues aside .... on a bright note it appears that the ship's shock trial's were successful (maybe) .... Navy Says LCS Shock Trials Had Positive Results; Pentagon Still Has Concerns (USNI News).