“As I understand it, they’re going to abandon the existing LCS; my wish (and I’ve seen this echoed elsewhere) would be to transfer them to the Coast Guard, where they’d make formidable cutters. The big helipad on the trimarans seems purpose-built for the CG.”
Coast Guard won’t take them. Use too much fuel. Even the new National Security Cutters are Combined diesel and gas (CODAG). Coast Guard turned down the Cyclone Class coastal patrol boats several years ago.
Pity. I wonder if they could be re-powered, but that would probably still push the TCO too high.