Lemons... Start Your Engines

OK I'm taking an unfair cheap shot with that title, guilty as charged. Is anyone else ready to see these platforms at sea? We are getting pretty excited about this program, because while we don't see much strategic value in it, we observe the conversation will change once they get to sea. Lockheed Martin appears to be getting closer to trials with LCS-1, and with Austal getting attention with its new sci fi design, this press release almost screams of "me too" for good press.

Recently, the sound of steadily humming engines could be heard aboard Freedom as the ship’s two Fairbanks Morse diesel engines demonstrated excellent performance during testing. The team monitored the performance of the diesel engines, which can provide more than 17,000 brake horsepower (bhp) for the ship, at various speeds to ensure they met the Navy’s performance requirements. The engines will help to economically power the ship at cruise speeds out to ranges exceeding 3,500 nautical miles.

Freedom’s innovative propulsion system is a combined diesel and gas turbine plant which drives steerable water jets, allowing the ship to sustain sprint speeds over 40 knots. The two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines aboard Freedom are the largest gas turbines ever to be installed on a Navy ship. Two fixed and two steerable Rolls-Royce water jets - the first of their size to ever be installed on a Navy ship - will enable superior maneuverability for mission execution.

Testing and outfitting of Freedom continues dockside at Marinette Marine, in Marinette, WI in preparation for sea trials. Freedom will be delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2008 and will be homeported in San Diego.

Looks to us like it took Lockheed Martin about two weeks to overcome the engine problems Tim Colton brought up, or perhaps notably, just get the engines to start. What Lockheed Martin calls an "innovative propulsion system" has all the signs of an engineering nightmare for a small crew, at least early on while they evolve the design and procedures. We recognize it will be a process, and will probably be one of the few people trying to remind others as when the hype over small small things start.

We still hold out hope that the DDG-1000 gets canceled after 2 ships, that the Navy will buy the one LCS purchased last year, the two in the FY09 budget, and the three in FY10 before starting a design transition for 'Flight I' to a corvette/frigate. There is nothing strategic about a fleet consisting of only battleships supported by a flotilla of unrated mini-motherships, and I don't believe for a minute the Navy's own internal war games suggest otherwise. We actually believe there is a good sign this is true, because every time Admiral Roughead discusses fleet constitution with the media, he uses the word "balance."

It appears pretty obvious to us the 313 fleet plan is not balanced. If Lockheed Martin (or GD) was playing their cards right, they would be pushing for the US to build the first MMC versions of the LCS. Sure would make exports less expensive if the US carried the dime for first in class, and most importantly, the nation would get the long process of first in class design moving.