LCS vs...

Rules of the fight are simple.  You're commanding an LCS and you're going up against another threat.  Your only weapons are those that are integral to the ship itself.  No helicopters but mission modules are allowed.  Winner is determined by who ever is left standing at the end....

First up.  LCS vs.Pirate Dhow...

Operating off the coast of Africa, your LCS has been charged with stopping illegal piracy.  You spot a dhow that you suspect of being a pirate ship and as you approach to launch your boarding party, you're hit with small arms fire and RPGs.  You retaliate with your 57mm cannon and make short work of the threat.  LCS 1.  Pirates 0.  LCS wins.

LCS vs. Fast Attack Missile Boat.

Future war in S. China sea.  Your LCS is acting as a picket ship.  No helicopters are onboard as they've been called back to reinforce the anti-sub net for the Carrier Battle Group.  Suddenly from behind an island, a Houbei class fast attack boat comes storming out.  They're 25 miles away and you launch your Griffin missile and start punching out decoys and smoke 'cause you know a long range missile is coming.  Your Griffin missile comes up short (you knew it would, you just hoped it would get a reaction from the enemy) and you speed away at 50 knots.  The engine will have to be rebuilt but that means you'll have survived the encouter.  A rebuilt engine will be a small price to pay for the joy of living another day.  God frowns and you die.  Your ship is a smoking wreck.  The Chinese paint a silhoutte of an LCS on the bridge, your crew is shark food and the LCS is destroyed by a boat less than half its size.  LCS 0.  Fast Attack Boat 1.  Rematch.  LCS is given a mission module with Harpoon missiles.  The circumstances of the battle remain the same.  The outcome?  Mutual destruction.  Both ships launch at range and both ships are hit.  The Chinese missile has a heavy warhead so the results are the same on the US side.  The Chinese ship being small is also damaged beyond repair.  The sharks dine on both crews.  LCS loses.  Rematch?  LCS loses.  Houbei loses.

LCS vs. Frigate.

LCS vs a La Fayette class frigate.  Hmmm.  This should be a decent match up.  With anti-ship modules both ships are similarly equipped and since the La Fayette class carries Exocet missiles the throw weight of their weaponry is also similar.  Circumstances of the ship to ship combat are irrelevant.  Equal opponents.  Equal weaponry.  Comes down to a pick'em.  Results.  Tie.

Long story short?  You can't fight an LCS against anything bigger than a Frigate.  And thats where the Navy should go with these ships.  Equip the ships as frigates and add them to the fleet.  Modules should be limited to Special Ops only.  An anti-surface package and anti-sub package should be a given.  Limited anti-air should come from close in defense and its 57mm guns.  Re-engining them with a more economical engine should be a given and the idea of speeds approaching 40 knots should be abandonded.  It still won't be perfect but it will be servicable.

Water obstacle course in Djibouti

Photos by 2nd Lt. Joshua Larson

Note:
Captions are embedded in the photos.

SAAB RBS15 Mk3 anti-ship missile

Super Carriers. Why not 6?

Check out a couple of passages from National Defense Magazine.

“Go back and look at the capabilities or reasons we used carriers 20 and 30 years ago and then look today,” Polmar said. “You’re going to reprogram a satellite — it’s cheaper, easier, faster.You’re going to send [an unmanned aerial vehicle], you’re going to dispatch a U-2 or you’re going to try to do it with cyber.”

The Navy has more than 50 submarines and more than 80 surface combatants that can launch Tomahawk missiles.

and...

While Preble believes 11 is too many, he doesn’t necessarily buy into the idea that the heyday of the super carrier is over. Large numbers of relatively low-cost anti-ship missiles and quiet submarines can cause serious problems for an aircraft carrier task force, but these threats are not insurmountable, Preble said.

“There are some people who believe that subs are such a game-changing technology and the advantage so disproportionately in the subs’ favor that a carrier is a sitting duck. I don’t believe that,” Preble said. “They’re big and they’re targets, but we have other big targets. Yes, we’re investing a lot of resources and money and time and people in a really, really big vessel. And so we invest a lot in protecting that vessel. This is not a new phenomena. We did the same thing with battleships.” 

Seems like the establishment is having the same conversation we are.

Interesting.

But it brings me to the real issue.  11 carriers is definitely too many.  Especially in light of how we're using them and the utility that the bring to the fleet.

If we lack the courage to change the size of our carriers then its time to change the number.  We need 8 max, 6 minimum.  I'd lean toward the 6.  We could have one deployed, one doing workups and one on a rest period.  Duplicating that on both coasts and you have it.

What do we get out of the deal?  A surplus instead of a deficit.  We will finally have enough aircraft to fully man our aircraft carriers.  Going to sea with 60 airplanes on deck is a crime.  We can pump that number up to a little over 100. 

Its doable.

We're building LCS, while China is pumping out Frigates.

Many thanks to Paralus for pointing out this article to me.

Sidenote:  I've publicly questioned Feng's motives.  He's a constant over at ID, and I've wondered if he was a Chinese sympathizer.  I was wrong.  Its more like he's simply informing us all of the strides that the Chinese are making in becoming a military as well as economic superpower.  Additionally Mike at New Wars caught alot of grief from me when he was writing.  I was wrong too.  He was into smaller, simpler and more plentiful ships before it was cool.  He was right.  And we all were so wrong.  Let me also add that I'm into small arms and armor.  But I will be focusing on China with a bit more gusto now.  They're the 800 pound gorilla that's a real threat to the US.

Go to Feng's place to get the full story on these ships....but one thing is obvious.  We're playing checker---testing out concepts----while the Chinese are playing chess----opting to product improve what is KNOWN to work.

Things aren't looking good for the home team.  We MUST get our shipbuilding plan and designs for smaller combatants going again!

Informational. Spratly Islands.

Flashpoint.

The Spratly island chain will be the area where the next major naval battle will probably occur. 

Consider this.  The Spratly Islands chain is reported to contain vast oil reserves.  Also consder that Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines and China all claim itt.

Now think about all the wars that have started over less.

Israeli and Chinese Navy. 20 years of cooperation.

Uh quick question.  When the fuck did China and the Israeli Navy become BFF's?

The Israel Navy congratulates the Chinese Navy on docking at the Haifa port. On August 13, 2012, the Chinese vessels arrived at Israel in order to celebrate 20 years of cooperation between the Israel Navy and the Chinese Navy. RADM Yang Jun-Fei was welcomed by the Haifa base commander, Brig. Gen. Eli Sharvit, upon his docking.

HMH-362 Memorial Flight.

Completing 60 years of service, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362, known as the 'Ugly Angels,' completed a memorial flight over Helmand province, Afghanistan, Aug. 9. The squadron was created in 1952 and holds the distinction of being the first Marine helicopter squadron to arrive in country during the Vietnam War  Photo by Cpl. Isaac Lamberth.