The US Navy wants to sell off its troubled littoral combat ships to allies after just a few years in service

[beijingwalker]

The US Navy wants to sell off its troubled littoral combat ships to allies after just a few years in service​

" Lack of sufficient warfighting capability against — against a peer competitor in China.”
The service wants to kiss a half-dozen 'little crappy ships' goodbye in the coming years.

BY JARED KELLER | PUBLISHED APR 26, 2023 1:32 PM EDT

The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) transits the South China Sea during a search and rescue exercise (SAREX) on Nov. 1, 2021. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andrew Langholf).

The Navy plans on selling off six of its much-maligned littoral combat ships to U.S. allies through the Defense Department’s Foreign Military Sales program after just a few years at sea, according to the service’s recently-released shipbuilding plan.

The plan, publicly disclosed in the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for the 2024 Fiscal Year sent to Congress in late March and first reported by our colleagues at The War Zone, would see the service move to sell two Independece-class and four Freedom-class LCS variants over the next two years.

As The War Zone notes, the youngest LCS up for sale under the proposed plan is Freedom-class USS St Louis, which was commissioned barely three years ago and billed as bringing “speed and agility” to the Navy’s surface fleet.

“Whether conducting counter-narcotic operations in the Caribbean or working to enhance interoperability with partners and allies at sea, USS St. Louis will provide maneuverability, stability, and lethality in today’s era of Great Power Competition,” then-Navy Secretary Kenneth J. Braithwaite said at the time.

Meanwhile, the oldest LCS on the chopping block is the Independence-class USS Jackson, which was commissioned eight years ago. Like the St. Louis, it also received heavy praise from service leaders during the occasion.

“They’re providing incredible presence. They’re providing lethality. They’re providing a lot of things that the United States Navy needs today and is going to need for years in the future,” then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said at the time.

The other ships planned for foreign military sale include the USS Montgomery, USS Wichita, USS Billings, and the USS Indianapolis, according to the Navy, several of which the service initially wanted to mothball entirely.

Unceremoniously dubbed the “little crappy ship” by its detractors, the LCS has been subject to withering criticism from within defense circles amid years of frequent mechanical failures ad embarrassing cost overruns surrounding what was once billed as a superfast surface combatant designed to track down submarines, neutralize anti-ship mines, and dominate littoral zones.

The Navy’s budget for fiscal year 2023 called for decommissioning nine Freedom-variant LCS, which have been plagued with problematic propulsion systems for years. But as Chief of Naval Operations Michael Gilday testified last year, the biggest influence on the Navy’s push to rid itself of the warship is its unsuitability in a near-peer fight.

“We need a capable lethal-ready Navy more than we need a larger Navy that’s less capable, less lethal, and less ready,” Gilday told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense at the time. “And so, unfortunately, the littoral combat ships that we have, while the mechanical issues were a factor, a bigger factor was — was the lack of sufficient warfighting capability against — against a peer competitor in China.”

In the same hearing, Gilday proposed selling off the LCS “to other countries that would be able to use them effectively,” namely unspecified allies “in South America … that would be able to use these ships that have small crews.”

Selling off the LCS may be the best option for the Pentagon to recoup the estimated $70-million annual cost of running one of the troubled warships, especially since the Navy is struggling to figure out an appropriate mission as part of its surface fleet for these floating liabilities and resorting to crowdsourcing mission sets from fleet commanders.

“We weren’t sure LCS was executing the missions it was designed for,” Commander of Naval Surface Forces Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener said in January 2022. “And so we … went out to the number of fleet commanders and said, ‘Alright, what do you want it to do? And what missions do you want it to execute based on the environment we’re in now?’”

The Navy wants to sell off its troubled littoral combat ships to allies after just a few years in service

The service wants to kiss a half-dozen 'little crappy ships' goodbye in the coming years.

taskandpurpose.com

 

[beijingwalker]

“We need a capable lethal-ready Navy more than we need a larger Navy that’s less capable, less lethal, and less ready,” Gilday told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense at the time. “And so, unfortunately, the littoral combat ships that we have, while the mechanical issues were a factor, a bigger factor was — was the lack of sufficient warfighting capability against — against a peer competitor in China.”

Maybe in next decade or two US will start selling their crappy carriers.

 

[truthseeker2010]

I remember just a few years ago, these were cutting edge, state of the art modular (out of this world) fighting ships as per american fanbois.

 

[Yongpeng Sun-Tastaufen]

America is the land of the setting sun. China is the land of the rising sun.

 

[etylo]

These Yankees are such smarta** business men, their allies have to buy those junks from US that they want to dump, what are friends for. Oops, not friends, but lapdogs.

 

[FuturePAF]

I remember just a few years ago, these were cutting edge, state of the art modular (out of this world) fighting ships as per american fanbois.

Their role is best suited for ASW in areas Russia or China operates (under the protection of other ships) or as large patrol ships around South America to catch smugglers. Outside of that they are poorly suited, and I have said as much to the crew when I visited one ship during a fleet week a few years ago (“isn’t this a lightly armed aluminum tin can, how can this really be used in a real fight”). They basically shrugged because the decision was above their pay grade.

Better late than never, now the USN will be getting real frigates; the constellation class. So these past mistakes are being rectified.

 

[MH.Yang]

Although we all know this is shit, but when Americans force their little dogs to eat shit, these little dogs will definitely say 'delicious!'
Now, let's take a look at which puppy will be given the right to eat shit by its owner.

 

[khansaheeb]

The US Navy wants to sell off its troubled littoral combat ships to allies after just a few years in service​

" Lack of sufficient warfighting capability against — against a peer competitor in China.”
The service wants to kiss a half-dozen 'little crappy ships' goodbye in the coming years.

BY JARED KELLER | PUBLISHED APR 26, 2023 1:32 PM EDT

The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) transits the South China Sea during a search and rescue exercise (SAREX) on Nov. 1, 2021. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Andrew Langholf).

The Navy plans on selling off six of its much-maligned littoral combat ships to U.S. allies through the Defense Department’s Foreign Military Sales program after just a few years at sea, according to the service’s recently-released shipbuilding plan.

The plan, publicly disclosed in the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for the 2024 Fiscal Year sent to Congress in late March and first reported by our colleagues at The War Zone, would see the service move to sell two Independece-class and four Freedom-class LCS variants over the next two years.

As The War Zone notes, the youngest LCS up for sale under the proposed plan is Freedom-class USS St Louis, which was commissioned barely three years ago and billed as bringing “speed and agility” to the Navy’s surface fleet.

“Whether conducting counter-narcotic operations in the Caribbean or working to enhance interoperability with partners and allies at sea, USS St. Louis will provide maneuverability, stability, and lethality in today’s era of Great Power Competition,” then-Navy Secretary Kenneth J. Braithwaite said at the time.

Meanwhile, the oldest LCS on the chopping block is the Independence-class USS Jackson, which was commissioned eight years ago. Like the St. Louis, it also received heavy praise from service leaders during the occasion.

“They’re providing incredible presence. They’re providing lethality. They’re providing a lot of things that the United States Navy needs today and is going to need for years in the future,” then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said at the time.

The other ships planned for foreign military sale include the USS Montgomery, USS Wichita, USS Billings, and the USS Indianapolis, according to the Navy, several of which the service initially wanted to mothball entirely.

Unceremoniously dubbed the “little crappy ship” by its detractors, the LCS has been subject to withering criticism from within defense circles amid years of frequent mechanical failures ad embarrassing cost overruns surrounding what was once billed as a superfast surface combatant designed to track down submarines, neutralize anti-ship mines, and dominate littoral zones.

The Navy’s budget for fiscal year 2023 called for decommissioning nine Freedom-variant LCS, which have been plagued with problematic propulsion systems for years. But as Chief of Naval Operations Michael Gilday testified last year, the biggest influence on the Navy’s push to rid itself of the warship is its unsuitability in a near-peer fight.

“We need a capable lethal-ready Navy more than we need a larger Navy that’s less capable, less lethal, and less ready,” Gilday told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense at the time. “And so, unfortunately, the littoral combat ships that we have, while the mechanical issues were a factor, a bigger factor was — was the lack of sufficient warfighting capability against — against a peer competitor in China.”

In the same hearing, Gilday proposed selling off the LCS “to other countries that would be able to use them effectively,” namely unspecified allies “in South America … that would be able to use these ships that have small crews.”

Selling off the LCS may be the best option for the Pentagon to recoup the estimated $70-million annual cost of running one of the troubled warships, especially since the Navy is struggling to figure out an appropriate mission as part of its surface fleet for these floating liabilities and resorting to crowdsourcing mission sets from fleet commanders.

“We weren’t sure LCS was executing the missions it was designed for,” Commander of Naval Surface Forces Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener said in January 2022. “And so we … went out to the number of fleet commanders and said, ‘Alright, what do you want it to do? And what missions do you want it to execute based on the environment we’re in now?’”

The Navy wants to sell off its troubled littoral combat ships to allies after just a few years in service

The service wants to kiss a half-dozen 'little crappy ships' goodbye in the coming years.

taskandpurpose.com

Maybe they can sell them to Pakistan?

Their role is best suited for ASW in areas Russia or China operates or as large patrol ships around South America to catch smugglers. Outside of that they are poorly suited, and I have said as much to the crew when I visited one ship during a fleet week a few years ago (“isn’t this a lightly armed aluminum tin can, how can this really be used in a real fight”). They basically shrugged because the decision was above their pay grade.

Better late than never, now the USN will be getting real frigates; the constellation class. So these past mistakes are being rectified.

Not mistakes but money making scams.

 

[FuturePAF]

Maybe they can sell them to Pakistan?


Not mistakes but money making scams.

Pakistan should stay away from these tin cans. I toured the ships and there doesn’t seem to be any redeeming factor on these ships (except the moon bay to launch large drones, but that can be put on other ships as well). They break down easily and aren’t worth it, except by the military industrial complex to milk American taxpayers.

Better off gifting then to the Philippines to do ASW and patrols in the SCS.

 

[gambit]

So people from countries that never really contributed to military science criticizing US.

 

[beijingwalker]

Although we all know this is shit, but when Americans force their little dogs to eat shit, these little dogs will definitely say 'delicious!'
Now, let's take a look at which puppy will be given the right to eat shit by its owner.

Taiwan

 

[MH.Yang]

Taiwan

I bet Australia wins.

 

[etylo]

Taiwan

Oh, the people in charge in Taiwan are stupid enough to get these junks, at least they are talking of getting these now or they will be forced to buy them just as they are forced to buy Boeing airplanes no one want to recently. But, that will be good for PLA if Taiwan navy gets them.

 

[mohsen]

It's the problem of the most US military products!

imagine sending your air defenses to Saudi Arabia, just to loose all remaining credibility!

or developing new most expensive fighter jets to replace the older ones, yet ending up keeping both cause you are not sure about the result!

In the end, they may give them to their sheriff or local fisher men for free!!!

 

[Abid123]

So people from countries that never really contributed to military science criticizing US.

Yeah... Just like you from Vietnam