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Question. Where is the Independence? The USS Freedom for all its warts and new paint job is zooming to Singapore to begin its first overseas deployment.
But Independence is missing. We haven't seen her. And now we have this from DoD Buzz.
It appears the U.S. Navy is preparing to buy only one of the two variants of the Littoral Combat Ship after 2015, according to a Defense News report.If I'm right and the end is near for the Independence then Austal should kick itself.
Vice Adm. Tom Copeman, the head of Naval Surface Forces, issued a classified report at the end of 2012 called “Vision for the 2025 Surface Fleet” in which he recommended a “re-evaluation of the next flights of LCSs — beyond the 24 ships now delivered, under construction, on order or with contract options,” wrote Chris Cavas of Defense News.
The Navy had planned to build 52 LCS ships. If the services chooses to cut that order in half, the service will likely purchase only one of the LCS variants — either the Freedom-class or Independence-class designs, according to the senior Navy officials that Defense News cited.
The Independence with its huge flight deck, tri-hull design and futuristic looks has been the darling of the blogging community and military theorists. When people were trying to add missions sets to the LCS class it was with the Independence in mind.
Now?
Not so much.
The damn ship can't get out of port!
If Lockheed Martin wins this battle, if the Navy picks the Freedom class over the Independence and if this report is true then we are looking at a defense leviathan. Lockheed Martin will (if they win in the JLTV and MPC contests) become an even bigger defense giant. Right now they're looking like the first defense mega-corporation.
One or two smart acquisitions and there will not be a defense project in the free world that could go forward without their participation.
IIRC the Freedom and Independence classes were launched in a staggered timeline so that the navy would not have to mane each with similar testers (not the basic crew) at the same time. This allows the navy evaluators to switch ships as each system comes online and needs testing.
ReplyDeleteLM definitely has a better PR campaign going.
the Independence suffered some type of rust problem and has been in dock ever since. meanwhile the Freedom continues development. both are still babies but the Freedom is growing while the Independence remains stuck in infancy. this is about PR this is about performance.
DeleteSol you are WRONG. First AL ships don't rust. Second, problems were fixed over a YEAR ago. Third LCS-2 is in San Diego continuing to support MIW Mission Module development. AFAIK its not "seaframe" but modules which are the "reported" problems.
DeleteAt this point in time and at the bloging level NO ONE can predict whether or which a down-select will be done. Goto the Defense News article there are two key paragraphs which are pertinient to Navy future COAs
i disagree. the Independence class is no where to be seen. if its turning screws in the San Diego harbor who cares? its not out to sea performing missions. the Freedom class is deploying to Singapore.
Deletein this case, i feel confident in my prediction that the entire class is in trouble and probably on the chopping blocks.
additionally rust was a problem with at least one part of the ship...rust or ionization or whatever. either way the last i heard the ship wasn't sea worthy.
DeleteI have seen a half a dozen articles about MIW Mission Module development which ALL allude to the LCS-2 supporting tests. The Navy does not like to talk about those much.
DeleteAnd the LCS-2 is still in its introduction phase i.e. until it completes INSURV trials after a PSA, the ship is not technically ready for USN service.
The LCS-1 deployment all mention a rotation in about six months but NONE say which LCS design will replace the Freedom?
LM wouldn't be the first defense megacorp. That would probably be General Dynamics in the 80's. They were building SSNs, sole-source for SSBNs, Abrams tanks, F-16s, missiles. . .they had their hands in damn near every pie.
ReplyDeleteIf a frigate design is chosen to replace the rest of LCS purchases, the most likely hull design is either LCS Freedom or coast guard's National Security Cutter.
ReplyDeleteLM is NOT a mega defense conglomerate. It lacks in-house design/production ability for warships and ground vehicles.
ReplyDeleteAs a ship (platform), Freedom is fabricated at Marinette Marine's facility in Wisconsin. The shipyard is owned by Italian boat manufacturer Fincantieri. LM is the overall system integrator and prime contractor.
For JLTV, LM's candidate is based on BAE design. Key components and final vehicle assembly are sourced by BAE as well. Again, LM handles prime contractor role.
LM's entry for MPC is Patria AMV, a complete foreign product. How can you say it belongs to LM? LM may be the marketing arm for AMV selling in the US market plus minor role for Americanized mission equipment integration. That's pretty much about it.
In order to be considered as a true defense conglomerate, you need to maintain organic (in-house) development and production capability. Only BAE can be qualified as such. They can do tanks, warship, air planes all by themselves. LM is a pretender.
"In order to be considered as a true defense conglomerate, you need to maintain organic (in-house) development and production capability. Only BAE can be qualified as such. They can do tanks, warship, air planes all by themselves."
DeleteGeneral Dynamics was doing that back in the 80's.
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