I've been worried about the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) being touted for its ability to fight in green or even brown waters close to shore. These missions are inappropriate for the too-expensive and too-vulnerable LCS which can look forward to tangling with lots of lethal threats that close to shore.
Now, as the Pentagon floats halting construction (at 32?) in order to either modify future versions of the ship to be a static ship (without removable mission modules) or design a new frigate for the low-end of the fleet, a Pentagon person says this?
The LCS was designed to perform certain missions, such as mine sweeping, anti-submarine warfare, in a relatively permissive environment. It is now time to examine whether the LCS (Littoral Combat Ship) has the protection and firepower to survive against a more advanced military adversary and emerging new technologies.
Excuse me? Now the ship designed to fight in green (coastal) or even brown (so close that runoff from shore dirties that water) waters is one designed for a "relatively permissive environment" without serious threats? Really?
While I welcome this blinding flash of reality before the ships are sent in to a slaughter, that would have been nice to admit before we started building 32 of them, no?
Anyway, here are some leading contenders for the frigate role. Although how LCS variations could be included if the basic hull design needs a "relatively permissive environment" to remain afloat is beyond me.
