As the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) gets smaller in the Navy's rear view mirror, the capability that might have salvaged the class finally arrives--containerized payloads.
I always believed that this concept held promise for the failed LCS:
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Navy are launching a competition to expedite the development of containerized payloads on manned and unmanned surface vessels — for missions as varied as surveillance to electronic attack. ...
“If it fits in a container, I want it and I should be able to fight anywhere in the world with it across many, many platforms. At speed. At scale,” [Chief of Naval Operatoins] Caudle said on April 20 at the Sea Air Space exposition, according to a transcript of his remarks.
But the containerized systems were not developed in time and under budget. And the LCS ship had too many other problems to be saved by even working containerized systems.
But now the payloads are coming on line. Too late for LCS, but perhaps in time for small, numerous, networked warships--whether manned or unmanned.
And don't forget modularized auxiliary cruisers.
NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.
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NOTE: Photo from the article.
