The Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Freedom, the first of her namesake class and one of two different LCS designs, was recently deployed to Singapore for ten months in order to demonstrate the capabilities of the ship described by the Navy as a “networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals.”  Unfortunately, USS Freedom broke down three times on its way to Singapore and then spent close to two months of the deployment tied up at the dock for repairs.   

Now, reports are leaking out that Navy officers in the Pacific are, in effect, suggesting that the ship should find a smaller ocean.  Bloomberg is reporting that U.S. Navy officers in the Pacific fleet say the service’s Littoral Combat Ship may lack the speed, range and electronic warfare capabilities needed to operate in Asian waters, according to a congressional audit.  

“Several 7th Fleet officials told us they thought the LCS in general might be better suited to operations” in the smaller Persian Gulf, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a 56-page report, labeled “For Official Use Only,” obtained by Bloomberg News.

The Navy had originally planned to build 55 of the LCS in two designs. That number was cut to 52 in 2013 and was further reduced to 32 by a February 24, 2014 memo from Defense Secretary Chuck Hegel.  Hagel has ordered the Navy report to develop potential ship options that would be “generally consistent with the capabilities of a frigate,” including a modified version of the Littoral Combat Ship or a new vessel.

Yesterday, Senator John McCain, in a speech on the Senate floor regarding the LCS program, said, “Failure this comprehensive is incredible, even for our broken defense procurement system…”

Littoral Ship’s Fitness for Asia Questioned by Some in U.S. Navy