The Independence-variant littoral combat ships USS Montgomery (LCS 8) and USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) operate in the South China Sea, accompanied by an MH-60S Sea Hawk assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, Jan. 28, 2020. US Navy photo
USNI News: 7th Fleet CO: Deployed LCS USS Gabrielle Giffords ‘Pretty Much Owned’ South China Sea
The Navy is now pushing the Littoral Combat Ships out into the Pacific in force after more than a decade of stops and starts and studies.
Today, there are two LCS deployed to the western Pacific – USS Tulsa (LCS-16) and USS Charleston (LCS-18) . By the end of the year there’ll be four and the end of 2022 there could be eight, the commander of U.S. Japan-based 7th Fleet said on Thursday.
“Before you start throwing darts, I’m a big fan of the platform,” Vice Adm. Bill Merz said on Thursday, speaking at the Mine Warfare Association International Mine Technology Symposium.
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WNU Editor: Vice Adm. Bill Merz may want more littoral combat ships, but the Pentagon has other plans .... Navy Tries to Cut Four Littoral Combat Ships to Save $186M in FY 22 Budget (USNI News).
The Navy wants to decommission two LCS's commissioned after 2016!
ReplyDeleteThey too buggy, evidently.
The good VM Merz is delusional if he thinks a thin skinned ship with just 8 anti ship missiles is going to get the Chinese's attention, he must have been a charity case at the Naval academy.
Is there any program which is not canceled? Something is going wrong. Either we are not able to define the programs the right way which means we don't know what we want, or the providers need a strong screening.
ReplyDeleteDuring the cold war we had much more competitors, now the manufacturers know the Pentagon can't afford to loose one : the orders will always come in a way or an other one. Great!
ReplyDeleteYah. There's been a few lemons from the builders and designers. Used one once myself. It was directly responsible for the deaths of many. This suicide package in the article is an ocean going F-35. It's financially weakening the country.
These planners seem to put so much emphasis on their weaponry designs. The latest AC carrier is eye rolling.
Good grief.
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