LCS Modules Move On Without the LCS

INSIDE THE NAVY had an article on Monday by Rebekah Gordon that dealt with the Littoral Combat Ship mission modules. Specifically, because the LCS is delayed, the Navy is looking for alternative platforms for testing the modules in development.

Basically the report highlights the Fire Scout will be tested on a Perry class frigate, and the MIW module will be tested on the USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) in December. So what about the ASW module?

Surrogate ships will be used later this year for initial at-sea testing of the ASW mission package, according to Baribeau. In October, end-to-end testing will be conducted using a torpedo retriever boat at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center instrumented range off of Andros Island in the Bahamas.

An ASW distributed forces exercise is scheduled for December in deep water off of Southern California, and LCS project managers have requested a Navy amphibious ship to act as the surrogate vessel.

Testing the ASW module on an amphibious ship sounds stupid right? Wrong. As the range of unmanned platforms increases, the limiting factor of unmanned systems is how many can be forward deployed, not which platform they get forward deployed on.

We'd like to think this is evidence the Industry and Navy are coming together on the concept of the mothership. Wishful thinking on our part maybe, but it is the future.

The article ran in the May 14, 2024 issue of Navy Clips.