February / March 2012 - Navy
Editor's note: This month, AUSN would like to provide
you an update on the progress of the Lockheed Martin
version of the littoral combat ship (LCS) by interviewing
one of their senior officers, Mr. Joe North.
AUSN: Can you tell our reader how many contracts
have been signed to date and what is the plan for the
remaining ten ships in the buy that was
approved in last year’s NDAA?
LMCO: The two prime contractors,
Lockheed Martin and Austal USA, have each
secured orders for four ships, with options
for eight more each, totaling 24. Lockheed
Martin has delivered the first-in-class vessel,
USS FREEDOM. In 2012, the next four
ships are scheduled to be awarded. Lockheed
Martin’s plan is to continue delivering ships on
time, on budget and to keep driving cost out of
the program through increased efficiency.
AUSN: What is Lockheed Martin’s understanding
of the Navy plans past the ten LMCO
ships and the ten AUSTAL America ships?
LMCO: The Navy commonly describes
LCS as a 55-ship build. Right now, we are
focused on continuing to deliver these ships
to the Navy on time and on budget. Beyond
that, it would be best to check with the Navy
to see what its plans are.
AUSN: How many LMCO ships are currently
under construction and what are the
next anticipated delivery dates?
LMCO: LCS 5 and LCS 7, the future USS
MILWAUKEE and DETROIT, respectively, are
under construction at the Marinette Marine
Shipyard in Wisconsin. MILWAUKEE’S keel was
laid in October 2011 and we plan to deliver
her in 2014, and DETROIT in 2015. The future
USS FORT WORTH, LCS 3, is 98 percent complete
and will be commissioned in fall 2012
and is being delivered on time and on budget.
AUSN: Our understanding is that the Navy views the
strength of this class of ships as their speed and ultimately
the number that will be fielded, fifty-five or so between
both hull types. How would Lockheed Martin assess the
strengths of the vessel?
LMCO: The littoral combat ship is a revolutionary
survivable warship designed to operate in the critically
important littoral waters, as well as the open sea. Its
speed and maneuverability is unprecedented, as well as
its interoperability with manned and unmanned offboard
systems that extend the reach and effectiveness
of the ship.
One of the most beneficial and unique
attributes of the LCS is its ability to quickly
and efficiently be reconfigured for different
types of missions. Depending on the specific
threat being addressed, the ship can be
reconfigured for mine countermeasures
(MCM), antisubmarine warfare (ASW) or
surface warfare (SUW) by installing modularized
mission packages that leverage manned
and unmanned off-board systems.
AUSN: Can you speak a bit more about survivability?
What in your view are the important
elements to survivability or is it just speed?
LMCO: Survivability speaks to the
resilience of the ship overall. It’s a sum of
many important elements––including the
FREEDOM variant’s speed, robust structural
design, grade A shock-hardened propulsion
train, defensive maneuvers, robust selfdefense
suite that integrates an Aegis derivative
combat management system with a
57 mm main gun, the Rolling Airframe
Missile (RAM) system, along with mine and
torpedo detection capabilities. It’s armed
with MH60R/S helos that give the ship range
and reach to protect and defend the ship and
a wide area.
AUSN: It seems that a number of laypersons
think that the LCS is really just a coastal patrol
boat rather than a true Naval warship. How
do you respond to that?
LMCO: The LCS has incredible capability
and flexibility. While it can execute missions
in shallow littoral waters where we see serious
threats from mines, stealthy submarines and small, fast
armed boats, it also provides protection in the open sea.
The hull is built out of steel, enhancing its survivability,
and it includes a robust self-defense suite that integrates
an Aegis derivative combat management system, a
57 mm main gun, the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM)
system, along with mine and torpedo detection capabilities.
It’s armed with MH60R/S helos which give the
ship range and reach to protect and defend the ship and
a wide area. LCS is a critically important shipbuilding
program for the U.S. Navy to defend our national
interests.
AUSN: It has been widely reported that during particularly
heavy seas, FREEDOM’s hull experienced a small
crack. While that is not uncommon in a first of its kind,
what can you tell us about that and the fix that has been
put in place for future hulls?
LMCO: The Lockheed Martin semi-planing steel
monohull design meets all customer requirements,
including specifics regarding survivability as outlined by
the U.S. Navy. During heavy-seas testing, USS FREEDOM
developed a six-inch crack which we’ve determined was
the result of an anomaly in the weld process at the exact
location of the crack. We’ve implemented enhanced
measures to mitigate the likelihood for any weld anomalies
in future ships including LCS 3.
AUSN: Much has been written about the cost of the
ship, now much more than the original $260 million per
copy that the Navy initially touted. Our understanding is
that FREEDOM, the first of the class, came in at over $600
million. What can you tell us about where we are with LCS
3 and 5? Will these ships come in under the congressionally
imposed cap?
LMCO: The Lockheed Martin-led LCS team is delivering
on its commitment to build ten ships and achieve a
competitive construction price at approximately $360
million each. The lead ships of the class came in at higher
costs than we anticipated. With each ship built, price
decreases and efficiencies increase. For instance, we
were able to construct LCS 3 with 30 percent less labor
hours than the first ship, USS FREEDOM; and we are
on budget and schedule. We’ve signed up to fixed-price
contracts, and we’ll be delivering under the cost cap on
the next ten ships. It is imperative that rate production
continue as scheduled to enable us to continue down
the learning curve as this is essential to maintaining
affordability and delivering this critical asset to the
fleet.
AUSN: Will you share with us Lockheed Martin’s
understanding of the basing plan for these ships as it
stands today?
LMCO: We aren’t able to comment on the basing
plans as that is a question best answered by the U.S.
Navy.
AUSN: FREEDOM has now been through one deployment.
What can you tell us about lessons learned from that?
LMCO: USS FREEDOM was deployed two years
ahead of schedule and is currently based in San Diego
under-going preparations for her official transfer into
U.S. Navy fleet operations, scheduled for 2012. The
Navy learned how this new kind of combatant can be
employed during FREEDOM’S initial deployment to U.S.
Naval Forces Southern Command, followed by participation
in Rim of the Pacific, or RIMPAC, the world’s
largest multinational maritime exercise. During
RIMPAC, the crew learned how well the ship handles,
experienced her speed and power and the ease of
flexibility in changing out mission packages. Lockheed
Martin captured lessons learned and rolled these
enhancements into the second ship of the FREEDOM
variant.
AUSN: What kind of design changes have been made as
a result of observing maintenance requirements and plant
operation during this first deployment?
LMCO: We learned a lot during USS FREEDOM’s
maintenance period. After this first-in-class ship, followon
ships include several improvements, including faster
speeds, greater fuel capacity, enhancements to the stern
door and a move to an electric start capability (vice
hydraulic) for the gas turbines.
AUSN: It would seem that one strength
of this design is that the warfare modules
for surface, ASW, and mine warfare are
designed to be added or removed according
to the mission assigned at the time. Will
you educate us as to just how this will
take place and how those system modules
interface with the permanent systems on
the ship? Are there other modules under
consideration for different missions?
LMCO: Because the LCS seaframe is
built with standard interfaces for mission
packages, which allows for easy swapouts
of different packages, the modularized
combat capability can be kept current
without drydocking the ship and ripping
it apart to replace systems. Modules are
loaded out pier side and moved and
secured within the large reconfigurable
areas on the ship. Standard interface
(plug and play) junction boxes allow
the systems to plug into the backbone
of the ship and operate off the ship’s
network and consoles. In regards to
other modules, you’ll need to check
with the Navy.
AUSN: One cannot discuss a military
system today without the topic of unmanned
vehicles coming up. Are unmanned systems
a part of the LCS kit bag?
LMCO: Yes, many of the offboard
unmanned (remote) vehicles are part
of the mission packages, including a
small unmanned rotary wing aircraft
that will provide overhead situational
awareness, an unmanned surface craft,
and an underwater unmanned vehicle
for mine detection and sweeping.