Posted on 05/17/2008 3:42:33 AM PDT by Reaganesque
May 15, 2008 With naval battles on the high seas now virtually extinct for the U.S. armed forces, the navy's role has become more one of infantry invasion and airstrike support - and with this new role comes a need for vessels more suited to littoral (just offshore) operations. The initial order was placed back in 2005, and the first delivery, the U.S.S. Independence, has just been launched, a speedy trimaran with helicopter decks, a stealthy radar profile and a healthy array of arms. It's configurable to suit a wide array of littoral combat missions, including minesweeping, anti-submarine and surface combat support - and now that we've seen it in the flesh, it wouldn't look the least bit out of place soaring over the credits of a Star Wars movie.
The U.S.S. Independence is the first of a projected fleet of between 50 and 100 littoral combat ships (LCSs) the US Navy will be adding to their fleet over the coming years. Built on a well-proven Australian-designed trimaran platform from Austal, the LCS is fast, stealthy and well suited to a range of offshore combat support missions.
The rear deck is suitable for two Seahawk helicopters, and can also support Harrier jump-jets if necessary. Onboard weaponry includes a 57mm Bofors gun, four .50 caliber guns, chaff, missile and torpedo decoy launchers, an 11-missile SeaRAM launcher, 8 Harpoon surface-to-surface missiles, mine detection and towed array sonar units, and a vertical launching system for ASROC-style surface missiles or Evolved Sea Sparrow type missile defenses.
The U.S.S. Inedpendence was built and delivered by General Dynamics, as part of a four-ship evaluation plan. Two were to be built by General Dynamics, two by Lockheed Martin, and the designs were to be evaluated to determine the superior design. Sadly, cost blowouts by both General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin have seen the remaining three evaluation ships cancelled and the Navy is putting together a new bidding program to have the remaining three evaluation ships contracted and built.
The Greeks have a ship that patrols the isle of Lesbos— it’s a
(wait for it...)
Clitoral Combat Ship!
Are you saying you don’t think the F-22 Raptor is beautiful?
GPS and Laser guided missiles....
Big guns and their ammunition are heavy. The LCSes are near their weight margins with their mission packages as it is.
THere’s a big gun on the DDG-1000. Research on the railgun continues.
The reality is that an aircraft carrying an assortment of gps bombs is a more accurate, efficient means of delivering ground support firepower now than a gun.
ping
You may have missed a big one:
"the remaining three evaluation ships cancelled "
It's my recollection that one of the Lockheed boats was already launched, but not yet commissioned
The profile from the waterline up makes me think of the Ironclads!
Why are folks so fixated on the weapons systems of the past? There has been a LOT of research and development of new systems that don’t take up as much space, don’t need as many folks to operate, and provide as much, if not more, firepower. The era of the big battleship lobbing ordnance on shorelines is way past. There are more efficient ways to deliver the hurt, when it needs to be done, and it has nothing to do with ‘political correctness’.
BINGO!
Guns are way too offensive and look mean and they discriminate.
Bring back the 16 inchers and piss off everybody.
Left full rudder?
Jets on the outer ahmas would make this thing turn much better.
That answers my question; there still is no replacement for the big 16” guns.
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