Littoral Combat Ship USS Sioux City Now Operating in the Middle East

By: Mallory Shelbourne

May 31, 2022 2:47 PM

USNI.org

Littoral combat ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11) transits the Suez Canal, May 29. U.S. Navy Photo

In a first for the class, a Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship is now operating in the Persian Gulf.

USS Sioux City (LCS-11) chopped into 5th Fleet on Saturday after operating in U.S. 6th Fleet for nearly a month.

“Sioux City is operating in support of a newly established multinational task force, Combined Task Force (CTF) 153, focused on maritime security and partner capacity building in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden,” United States Naval Forces Central Command said in a news release.

The deployment marks a first for the Freedom variant, which has mostly operated in U.S. Southern Command to help perform counter-drug operations. In 2020, Sioux City deployed for the first time to U.S. Southern Command, where it aided in counter-drug missions with a U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment (LEDET) aboard.

“We’re excited to welcome a littoral combat ship to the Middle East for the first time,” U.S. 5th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Brad Cooper said in the release. “Sioux City’s arrival is not only historic but essential to regional maritime security given its immediate integration with our new multinational naval task force.”

The deployment to the Middle East could be the last for Sioux City, which the Navy is seeking to decommission as part of its Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal.

The Freedom variant ships have faced two significant problems in recent years: a class-wide issue with the combining gear that marries the gas turbines to the ship’s diesel engines and difficulty fielding the planned anti-submarine warfare package for the LCS Mission Module program.

Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11), homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Jacksonville, Fla., arrives at the Marathi NATO Pier Complex in Souda Bay, Greece, to undergo scheduled preventative maintenance on May 20, 2022. US Navy Photo

The propulsion issue with the combining gear, discovered throughout 2020, led the Navy to halt deliveries of the Freedom-class ships in early 2021. The issue also paused Navy plans to forward deploy Freedom-class ships to Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, USNI News previously reported.

When the service unveiled its FY 2023 budget proposal, the Navy proposed decommissioning every Freedom-class ship in the fleet at the time. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday sought to justify the decision in testimony last week to the Senate Appropriations Committee defense subcommittee.

“Unfortunately the Littoral Combat Ships that we have, while the mechanical issues were a factor, a bigger factor was the lack of sufficient warfighting capability against a peer competitor in China. A key factor in the determination was the anti-submarine warfare package that was being developed for the Freedom-class hull that just were ineffective. And so we refused to put an additional dollar against that system that wouldn’t match the Chinese undersea threat. That was a primary driver, sir, in leading us to determine that those ships relative to others, just didn’t bring the warfighting value to the fight,” Gilday told lawmakers.

The Navy also canceled the ASW mission module for the Freedom hulls after struggling to field Raytheon’s AN/SQS-62 variable depth sonar (VDS) on the ships.

Sioux City, based at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., commissioned in 2018.

Last week, Gilday said the Navy could potentially transfer the decommissioned LCSs to allies.

“Now, in terms of what are the options going forward with these ships, I would offer to the subcommittee that we should consider offering these ships to other countries that would be able to use them effectively,” Gilday told Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). “There are countries in the southern, in South America, as an example as you pointed out, that would be able to use these ships that have small crews. And so instead of just considering scrapping as the single option, I think there are others that we can look at, sir.”

Fincantieri Shipyards Earn National Safety Honors

PUBLISHED MAY 27, 2022 5:49 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

WASHINGTON D.C. – Two of Fincantieri Marine Group’s Wisconsin shipyards earned accolades for safety from the Shipbuilders Council of America this week.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine received both the “Excellence in Safety” and “Improvement in Safety” awards, while Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding received the “Improvement in Safety” award as well. Both shipyards have extensive nationally-recognized safety programs and a workforce that values safe operations and wellness.

“I am so proud of the men and women of Fincantieri Marinette Marine for earning this award,” said Mark Vandroff, CEO of FMM. “The safety of our employees, suppliers, and customers is our highest priority, and this recognition is a testament to that priority.”

Across the bay from Marinette, the leader of Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, Craig Perciavalle, echoed Vandroff’s sentiment. “We maintain a focus on safety, and when we do it right, awards such as this reinforce our collective efforts.”

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) is the national shipyard industry association and they annually recognize member companies who have zero fatalities throughout the previous year and have a total recordable incident rate (TRIR) that falls below the SCA average or if they reduce their TRIR by 10 percent or more.

This year, SCA recognized the Fincantieri shipyards and 13 other shipyards and repair facilities.

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

Shipbuilders Council Announces 2022 Shipyard Safety Awards

May 27, 2022

Marine Link

(File photo: Fincantieri Marinette Marine)

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipyard industry, today announced the 2022 Annual Shipyard Safety Awards. SCA recognized a total of 15 U.S. shipyards and repair facilities with seven recipients receiving multiple awards.

SCA honors shipbuilding and repair organizations with the “Excellence in Safety” Award and “Improvement in Safety” Award each year for enhancement of operations and promotion of safety and accident prevention. The “Significance in Safety Achievement” Award is dedicated to shipyards that have had 0 fatalities and a total recordable incident rate (TRIR) under 1.0.

Over the past several years, the industry has seen the total recordable incident rate steadily decline. Safety professionals in the industry are continuing to implement new safety policies. The culture of safety and putting employees at the forefront of their focus has meant the industry has been able to adapt to various challenges that arose in 2021 while protecting all involved and keeping regular operations up to speed.

“American shipyards are dedicated to not only achieving the highest safety standards of any heavy manufacturing industry but are also leading in advancing safety practices,” said SCA President Matthew Paxton. “We salute each of the 15 shipyards and repair facilities being recognized this year for their continuous dedication to the health and safety of this critical workforce.”

SCA member companies are eligible for a Safety Award if they submit the SCA Injury & Illness survey for all four quarters, have zero fatalities throughout the year and either have a total recordable incident rate (TRIR) below the SCA average or if they reduce their year-on-year TRIR by 10 percent or more.

The following shipyards and repair facilities were recognized for their safety practices this year:

Receiving the “Significance in Safety Achievement” Award:
•Alabama Shipyard (Mobile, Ala.)
•Bollinger Shipyards (Lockport, La.)
•Southwest Shipyard, L.P. (Channelview, Texas)
•Vigor Hawaii (Honolulu, Hawaii)

Receiving the “Excellence in Safety” Award:
•Alabama Shipyard (Mobile, Ala.)
•Bollinger Shipyards (Lockport, La.)
•Conrad Shipyard (Morgan City, La.)
•Fincantieri Marinette Marine (Manitowoc, Wis.)
•Metal Shark Boats (Jeanerette, La.)
•MHI Ship Repair & Services (Norfolk, Va.)
•North Atlantic Ship Repair, LLC (Boston, Mass.)
•Philly Shipyard, Inc. (Philadelphia, Pa.)
•Southwest Shipyard, L.P. (Channelview, Texas)
•Vigor Alaska (Ketchikan, Alaska)
•Vigor Hawaii (Honolulu, Hawaii)
•Vigor Portland (Portland, Ore.)
•Vigor Vancouver (Vancouver, Wash.)

Receiving the “Improvement in Safety” Award:
•Bollinger Shipyards (Lockport, La.)
•Conrad Shipyard (Morgan City, La.)
•Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (Sturgeon Bay, Wis.)
•Fincantieri Marinette Marine (Manitowoc, Wis.)
•MHI Ship Repair & Services (Norfolk, Va.)
•Philadelphia Ship Repair (Philadelphia, Pa.)
•Southwest Shipyard, L.P. (Channelview, Texas)

“While Bollinger Shipyards is always proud to be recognized as an industry leader in workplace safety amongst our peers, this year’s award is especially meaningful after everything our employees experienced in 2021,” said Ben Bordelon, Bollinger President and CEO. “Despite the challenges presented by the ongoing global pandemic and the devastating loss following Hurricane Ida, the men and women of Bollinger maintained their commitment to upholding the highest level of safety in our industry – the Bollinger Standard. I want to commend the resilience and dedication of our employees who continued to work safely and efficiently to deliver high quality vessels for our customers on schedule and on budget.”

“Safety has always been a Core Value at Conrad, and we make a steadfast commitment every day to ourselves, employees, and our customers. We are honored for the award recognition. I am very proud of our employees for their dedication,” said Johnny Conrad, Chairman and CEO of Conrad Shipyard.

“I am so proud of the men and women of Fincantieri Marinette Marine for earning this award,” said Mark Vandroff, CEO of Fincantieri Marinette Marine. “The safety of our employees, suppliers, and customers is our highest priority, and this recognition is a testament to that priority.”

Across the bay from Marinette, the leader of Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, Craig Perciavalle, echoed Vandroff’s sentiment. “We maintain a focus on safety, and when we do it right, awards such as this reinforce our collective efforts.”

Navy Could Transfer Decommissioned Littoral Combat Ships to Allies, Says CNO

By: Mallory Shelbourne

May 26, 2022 1:37 PM

USNI.org

The nine in-commission Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships the Navy is proposing to decommission as part of the FY 2023 budget. US Navy Photos

The Navy could transfer the Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships it plans to decommission to other countries, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told lawmakers today.

Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee defense subcommittee, Gilday suggested the panel assess the possibility of transferring the ships to countries in South America, where the LCS could perform counter-drug operations.

“Now, in terms of what are the options going forward with these ships, I would offer to the subcommittee that we should consider offering these ships to other countries that would be able to use them effectively. There are countries in the southern, in South America, as an example as you pointed out, that would be able to use these ships that have small crews. And so instead of just considering scrapping as the single option, I think there are others that we can look at, sir,” Gilday told Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).

Other countries have received U.S. Navy ships once they’ve left service. For example, the U.S. Navy transferred multiple Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates to other nations, including Turkey, Bahrain, Poland and Pakistan.

The Navy is seeking to decommission nine Freedom-class LCSs as part of its Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal, but the plan has received criticism from lawmakers, as none of the ships have reached their expected service lives.

Gilday on Thursday argued to Congress that the Navy wants to decommission the ships because they would not fare well in a potential conflict against China, which Pentagon officials describe as the “pacing threat” for the military.

“Unfortunately the Littoral Combat Ships that we have, while the mechanical issues were a factor, a bigger factor was the lack of sufficient warfighting capability against a peer competitor in China. A key factor in the determination was the anti-submarine warfare package that was being developed for the Freedom-class hull that just were ineffective. And so we refused to put an additional dollar against that system that wouldn’t match the Chinese undersea threat. That was a primary driver, sir, in leading us to determine that those ships relative to others, just didn’t bring the warfighting value to the fight,” Gilday said.

The Freedom-class LCSs have recently experienced two major issues: a class-wide problem with the combining gear that marries the ship’s gas turbines to the diesel engines and difficulty fielding the intended anti-submarine warfare package for the LCS mission module program.

USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) pier-side at Naval Station San Diego, Calif., on Feb. 15, 2022

When unveiling its FY 2023 budget request in March, the Navy announced it would scrap the ASW package for the LCS mission module program after struggling to field the Raytheon AN/SQS-62 variable depth sonar (VDS) on the Freedom-class hull. Abandoning the ASW package recently triggered a Nunn-McCurdy breach for the LCS mission module program.

Instead, the Navy is planning for the Constellation-class frigate program (FFG-62) to host the service’s main anti-submarine warfare capability, which will feature the Thales’ CAPTAS-4.

Gilday during Thursday’s hearing said the Navy has other assets – like the destroyers and P-8A Poseidon aircraft – that can perform the ASW mission in the interim.

“The new class of frigate that we’re building will bring an enhanced anti-submarine warfare capability. The destroyers that we have right now have very capable anti-submarine warfare capabilities,” he said. “In terms of anti-submarine warfare, we do have other capable systems in the fleet, not just on the sea, but also I mentioned the submarines– the quietest summaries in the world – the most effective submarines in the world that we’re fielding as well as our P-8 aircraft for large-area ASW surveillance.”

Fincantieri Marinette Marine, which is building the Constellation-class frigates, has started early work but has yet to lay the keel for the lead ship – the official start of a ship’s fabrication.

When the Navy issued the initial contract to Fincantieri to build the first frigate, it included the option for nine more ships, but also retained the possibility of awarding contracts to a second yard for ships after the first ten. Fincantieri invested $180 million in its yard before receiving the initial frigate award and said ahead of the award that it would invest another $80 to $100 million if it won the competition so the yard could build two frigates per year for the Navy, USNI News previously reported.

A Fincantieri Marinette Marine model of the proposed USS Constellation (FFG-62). USNI News Photo

During Thursday’s hearing, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) said she’s looking to appropriate more money to develop the industrial base for the frigate program. Baldwin’s state is home to Fincantieri’s Wisconsin shipyard. Baldwin said she would support the Navy buying three or four frigates per year, but acknowledged this would likely demand that the service bring in a second yard.

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told Baldwin he believes the Navy must get through building the first ship in the class to work out any initial problems before ramping up for a second yard.

“I would be all in favor of adding a second shipyard at the right moment in time, but I think before we make that decision it’s very important to ensure that the technologies that we put on the frigate and our investment of this committee for example to the LBES, or the land-based engineering support structure in Philadelphia, is critically important to the success of that ship,” Del Toro said. “And so we have to make sure that ship stays on schedule, on cost, on time and those investments should come first before we actually consider a second shipyard for that.”

The Navy’s top civilian said it’s “likely the case” that buying two ships per year would not warrant a second yard.

According to the Navy’s FY 2023 five-year budget plan, the service wants to buy one frigate in FY 2023, two in FY 2024, one in FY 2025, two in FY 2026 and one in FY 2027.

Congress voiced concern about the Navy bringing in a second yard too soon in the joint explanatory statement accompanying the FY 2022 appropriations bill.

“There is concern that prematurely adding a second CCF shipyard before the first shipyard has identified and corrected technical and production issues will inject unneeded risk and complexity into the program,” the statement reads.

Due to the risk concerns, lawmakers mandated that before issuing a contract to a second yard, the service must “prioritize the following objectives: technology maturation and risk reduction for critical shipboard components; major systems integration; full ship technical data package creation; and successful operationally realistic testing for the first ship,” according to text of the statement.

Navy budget chief Rear Adm. John Gumbleton said during the March budget rollout that the five-year budget plan for the frigate was reflective of what one shipyard could build.

VIDEO: Navy Commissions Littoral Combat Ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul

By: Mallory Shelbourne

May 23, 2022 4:43 PM

USNI.org

USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21) Sailors salute the audience during the commissioning ceremony of the ship in Duluth, Minn., on May 21, 2022. US Navy Photo

The Navy commissioned Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21) at a Saturday ceremony hosted in Duluth, Minn.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Navy Under Secretary Erik Raven, and deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting requirements and capabilities (OPNAV N9) Vice Adm. Scott Conn attended the ceremony.

“LCS-21 is the second ship to be named after Minnesota’s twin cities, or as Minnesotans may affectionately refer to as ‘the cities,’ honoring the citizens and their proud history of naval service,” Raven said at the commissioning ceremony.

“I am pleased to celebrate this moment while in Duluth. Duluth is also a twin city, known as the twin ports, while also maintaining the largest port on the Great Lakes. it holds the status of the farthest inland port, granting access to the Atlantic Ocean, 2,300 miles away,” Raven added. “Duluth not only has a well-established and thriving maritime community, it also has experience with hosting the Navy, granting ships like USS Freedom, USS Clark, USS Samuel E. Morison, the privilege to port here.”

The ship is the first one to be commissioned in Minnesota, Klobuchar said at the ceremony.

The ship will be based at Naval Station Mayport, Fla., where the Navy homeports its Freedom-class LCSs.

The Navy took delivery of Minneapolis-Saint Paul in November after halting Freedom-class deliveries in January 2021 due to a class-wide issue that affected the combining gear, a gearing mechanism that marries up the ship’s gas turbines with its diesel engines.

“I feel confident that we have applied that technical rigor to address this problem. And I look forward to delivering LCS 21… as well as the rest of the Freedom variants of the LCS class,” Jay Stefany, who at the time was performing the duties of the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, told reporters in November.

Since discovering the problem with the combining gear, the Navy has announced plans to decommission all Freedom-class LCSs through USS St. Louis (LCS-19). When the Navy disclosed its plans during the Fiscal Year 2023 budget rollout, the proposal at the time included all Freedom-class ships currently in service.

Navy deputy assistant secretary for budget Rear Adm. John Gumbleton said in March that the service is seeking to decommission the Freedom-class ships because it also chose to cancel the anti-submarine warfare mission package for the LCS Mission Module.

“The programmatic decision was actually looking at the ASW variant. And the ASW variant – mission module – huge challenges, not going to work. And we’re buying in this budget our fourth frigate. And the fourth frigate has what we believe is going to be an effective ASW capability and so that’s where we chose to take risk in our LCS portfolio,” Gumbleton said at the time.

The Navy struggled to field Raytheon’s AN/SQS-62 variable depth sonar (VDS) on the Freedom variant. The cancellation of the ASW mission package recently triggered a Nunn-McCurdy breach for the LCS Mission Module program.

U.S. Navy Commissions the First Freedom-Class LCS it Plans to Keep

Image courtesy USN

PUBLISHED MAY 22, 2022 6:42 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

The U.S. Navy has commissioned the first of the six Freedom-class littoral combat ships that it intends to keep, USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21). 

All previous vessels in the class have been nominated for early retirement in the Navy's latest budget proposal, including USS Freedom (deactivated), Fort Worth, Milwaukee, Detroit, Little Rock, Sioux City, Wichita, Billings, Indianapolis and St. Louis. According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, the anti-submarine warfare sonar system for the class has failed to perform, and since it has been canceled, there is no need for the Navy to carry the operating cost for so many Freedom-class LCS. 

Combined with savings from the retirement of Ticonderoga-class cruisers, removing legacy Freedom-class hulls would help save the Navy $3.6 billion in operating costs over five years - funds that the service could use on systems that "actually move the needle in a high end fight with an adversary like China," Gilday said in a recent congressional hearing.

However, there is no guarantee that Congress will allow the service to retire so many new ships, the youngest of which is less than two years old. Several high-ranking members of the House Defense Appropriations and Seapower subcommittees have objected strongly because the retirements would reduce the quantity of hulls in the fleet.

If Congress forbids decommissioning, the existing Freedom-class hulls would have to be repaired in order to attain their design speed. Due to a flawed bearing design in the drivetrain's complex gearbox, the previously-delivered Freedom-class vessels cannot sustain top speed; at present, the class is restricted to a (relatively) lower pace of about 35 knots. 

The Navy halted deliveries for the Freedom-class until the issue was fixed, and the brand new USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul was the testbed for the repair procedure. PEO Unmanned and Small Combatants commander Rear Adm. Casey Moton told Defense News that it took six months to remove unrelated equipment, gain access to the gearbox, make the repair, put everything back together and conduct sea trials. 

The repairs were successful, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul was accepted in November and commissioned on Saturday. Vice Admiral Scott Conn, USN, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Requirements and Capabilities, spoke at the ceremony. “Thank you all for preparing LCS-21 for this day,” said Conn. “I recognize how special it is to be together for this milestone, and to spend this day bringing the newest ship in our fleet to life in this way. And more so, to do it in the state of her namesake cities is unique and special.”

VIDEO: LCS USS Montgomery Fires Hellfire Missiles in Land Attack Test

By: Mallory Shelbourne

May 16, 2022 7:03 PM

USNI.org

An AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missile launches from the Surface-To-Surface Missile Module (SSMM) aboard Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery (LCS-8) on May 12, 2022. US Navy Photo

An Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship launched three Longbow Hellfire missiles that hit a land-based target in a demonstration last week, the Navy announced.

USS Montgomery (LCS-8) launched the AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles in the Pacific Ocean, the service said in a news release. The missiles, with a range of about five miles, make up the LCS surface-to-surface mission module, one of the three original components of the LCS mission package.

“This test proved the critical next step in increasing lethality of the Littoral Combat Ship,” Cmdr. Dustin Lonero, the commanding officer of the ship, said in a Navy news release. “Using our speed and shallow draft, we are now uniquely optimized to bring this level of firepower extremely close to shore in support of our warfighters and operators on the beach.”

The Navy in 2019 wrapped up the structural testing required to ensure the LCS could fire the Hellfire missiles, USNI News reported at the time.

“The Longbow Hellfire missile already plays a key role in the up-gunned surface warfare mission package,” the Navy said in the news release. “Originally fielded by both variants of the littoral combat ship in 2019, the missile has repeatedly demonstrated the capability quickly defeat multiple swarming Fast Attack Craft/Fast Inshore Attack Craft (FAC/FIAC). Each LCS is capable carrying twenty-four missiles.”

The Hellfires replaced the Navy-Army joint Non-Line of Sight Launch missile system (N-LOS) that Navy officials initially planned to put onto the LCS in 2014, USNI News reported at the time.

Navy’s Cancellation of Littoral Combat Ship ASW Mission Package Triggers Nunn-McCurdy Breach

By: Mallory Shelbourne

May 13, 2022 1:44 PM • Updated: May 13, 2022 2:26 PM

USNI.org

Sailors aboard the Independence-class Littoral Combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) lower a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) in preparation for small boat operations October 7, 2020. U.S. Navy Photo

The Navy’s decision to cancel the anti-submarine warfare mission package for the Littoral Combat Ship has sparked a Nunn-McCurdy breach, the service told lawmakers on Friday.

In a statement, the Navy said it told Congress today that the LCS Mission Module program now “exceeds the original baseline estimate by at least 30 percent and the current baseline by at least 15 percent, breaching the Nunn-McCurdy significant cost growth threshold.”

The breach comes after the Navy, in its Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal, decided to eliminate the anti-submarine warfare package from the LCS mission module program, instead opting to focus the ASW capability on the Constellation-class frigate program.

“Specifically, [Program Acquisition Unit Cost] increased by 37.3 percent from the original baseline. PAUC increased by 18.0 percent and [Average Procurement Unit Cost] increased by 17.2 percent from the current baseline,” Capt. Clay Doss, an acquisition spokesperson for the Navy, said in a statement.

“This cost growth occurred due to a reduction of overall LCS Mission Package quantities following divestment of the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) MP in the President’s Budget Submission for Fiscal Year 2023 (PB 2023). The total cost of the LCS MM program was then spread across fewer units,” Doss continued.

The Navy’s LCS Mission Module program was slated to include three mission packages – one for anti-submarine warfare, one for surface warfare and one for mine-countermeasures. But the service has only fielded the surface warfare mission package, and the other packages have experienced delays.

The Nunn-McCurdy provision mandates the Pentagon tell lawmakers when the cost of its top-tier acquisition programs surpasses specific baselines.

“There are two types of breaches: significant breaches and critical breaches. A significant breach is when the Program Acquisition Unit Cost (the total cost of development, procurement, and construction divided by the number of units procured) or the Procurement Unit Cost (the total procurement cost divided by the number of units to be procured) increases 15% or more over the current baseline estimate or 30% or more over the original baseline estimate. A critical breach occurs when the cost increases 25% or more over the current baseline estimate or 50% or more over the original baseline estimate,” reads a 2016 report from the Congressional Research Service.

The Navy maintained that the LCS mission module program’s current breach is not “critical.”

“The LCS MM program is not at increased risk as a result of this cost breach. This is not a critical Nunn-McCurdy breach that would require program recertification,” Doss said.

The service announced during the March budget rollout that it would cancel the ASW package. The Navy struggled to field the Raytheon AN/SQS-62 variable depth sonar (VDS) on the Freedom-class LCS and the service now plans to field the Thales’ CAPTAS-4 on the frigates.

As part of its FY 2023 budget proposal, the Navy also announced plans to decommission all of the Freedom-class LCS currently in service.

“This is about opportunity cost. ASW mission, that went away. Roughly $50 million a year support cost for these vessels and an opportunity to reinvest $1.8 billion when this ASW mission sets [are] going to be taken up by the frigate, of which we’re buying the fourth of the line in this budget request,” Navy budget chief Rear Adm. John Gumbleton said in a March briefing. “It speaks to a return on investment to get at the lethality we need for our near-peer competitor.”

Report to Congress on Constellation-class Frigate Program (FFG-62)

May 12, 2022 12:22 PM

• USNI.org

The following is the May 11, 2022, Congressional Research Service report, Navy Constellation (FFG-62) Class Frigate (Previously FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress.

From the report

The Navy began procuring Constellation (FFG-62) class frigates (FFGs) in FY2020, and wants to procure a total of 20 FFG-62s. Congress funded the first FFG-62 in FY2020, the second in FY2021, and the third in FY2022. The Navy’s proposed FY2023 budget requests the procurement of the fourth FFG-62.

The Navy’s FY2023 budget submission estimates the procurement cost of the fourth FFG-62 at $1,091.2 (i.e., about $1.1 billion). The ship has received $6.0 million in prior-year advance procurement (AP) funding. The Navy’s proposed FY2023 budget requests the remaining $1,085.2 million needed to complete the ship’s estimated procurement cost. The Navy’s proposed FY2023 budget also requests $74.9 million in AP funding for FFG-62s to be procured in future fiscal years.

Four industry teams competed for the FFG-62 program. On April 30, 2020, the Navy announced that it had awarded the FFG-62 contract to the team led by Fincantieri/Marinette Marine (F/MM) of Marinette, WI. F/MM was awarded a fixed-price incentive (firm target) contract for Detail Design and Construction (DD&C) for up to 10 ships in the program—the lead ship plus nine option ships. The other three industry teams reportedly competing for the program were led by Austal USA of Mobile, AL; General Dynamics/Bath Iron Works (GD/BIW) of Bath, ME; and Huntington Ingalls Industries/Ingalls Shipbuilding (HII/Ingalls) of Pascagoula, MS.

As part of its action on the Navy’s FY2020-FY2022 budgets, Congress has passed provisions relating to U.S. content requirements for certain components of each FFG-62 class ship, as well as a provision requiring the Navy to conduct a land-based test program for the FFG-62’s engineering plant (i.e., its propulsion plant and associated machinery).

The FFG-62 program presents several potential oversight issues for Congress, including the following:

• the Navy’s emerging force-level goal for frigates and other small surface combatants;

• the reduction in the FFG-62 program’s programmed procurement rate under the Navy’s FY2023 five-year (FY2023-FY2027) shipbuilding plan;

• the accuracy of the Navy’s estimated unit procurement cost for FFG-62s, particularly when compared to the known unit procurement costs of other recent U.S. surface combatants;

• whether to build FFG-62s at a single shipyard at any one time (the Navy’s baseline plan), or at two shipyards;

• whether the Navy has appropriately defined the required capabilities and growth margin for FFG-62s;

• whether to take any further legislative action regarding U.S. content requirements for the FFG-62 program;

• technical risk in the FFG-62 program; and

• the potential industrial-base impacts of the FFG-62 program for shipyards and supplier firms in the context of other Navy and Coast Guard shipbuilding programs.

Video: Second-to-Last Freedom-Class LCS Launched at Marinette

USS Beloit prepared for launch (Rep. Mike Gallagher)

PUBLISHED MAY 8, 2022 10:42 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

Fincantieri Marinette Marine has launched the second-to-the-last Freedom-class LCS, USS Beloit. The ship is named after the Wisconsin city where Fairbanks-Morse has built engines for the U.S. Navy for generations.

Beloit native Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson (U.S. Army, ret'd) served as the ship's sponsor, and veterans from the city of Beloit were brought up by bus for the ceremony. 

“The future USS Beloit will be the first U.S. Navy ship honoring the proud naval contributions of Beloit, Wisconsin,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro in a statement “I have no doubt the sailors of USS Beloit will stand the watch with pride and be ready to respond to any mission, wherever, and whenever, there is a need.”

It was the second-to-the-last time that Marinette sends out a Freedom-class hull with a dramatic side launch. For the follow-on hulls built for Saudi Arabia (the Royal Saudi Naval Forces' Multi-Mission Surface Combatant, or MMSC), the yard will use a Travelift to hoist and lower the vessels into the water. This allows more construction to be completed in the assembly hall before launch. 

Beloit will deliver under unusual circumstances. If Congress allows, the Navy has proposed to decommission all Freedom-class LCS hulls through USS St. Louis, which was delivered less than two years ago. The service still plans to take delivery of six more that are currently in various stages of fitting-out or construction, including USS Beloit. 

The Navy says that it sees less need for the Freedom-class because a related program for an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) equipment package has not delivered. The new AN/SQS-62 variable depth sonar system was to be the core of LCS' ASW capability, but the Navy suspended the system's development earlier this year due to persistent underperformance. Without a functioning ASW sonar for the Freedom-class, the service says that it has little need for the ship itself.

"LCS is as noisy as an aircraft carrier and so there are some big challenges there that we should have pick[ed] up on way earlier," Adm. Gilday told Naval News. "I’ve been looking at the data on the ASW package for the last year-and-a-half to two years and it got to the point where a decision needed to be made and I wouldn’t put more money against it, and that left the future of those ships open."

The Freedom-class design has also been scrutinized for its weapons capabilities, operating costs and survivability. Previously delivered hulls also have an expensive flaw in the combining gear, the sophisticated gearbox that integrates power from the ship's diesel and gas turbine engines. In future production, both LCS classes will be phased out in favor of the new Constellation-class, a conventional multirole frigate based on a European design. The Constellation-class will also built at Marinette.