ANNAPOLIS, Md. – A Lockheed Martin [LMT] official said they are modifying the rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) ramp on Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) as an upgrade to let the boats be stored directly on the ramps at higher ship speeds.

“Part of the lessons learned from the deployments of LCS was we’d like to be able to store the boats directly on the ramp, even when the ship is underway,” Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin’s vice president of small combatants and ship systems, told reporters here ahead of the Saturday commissioning of the future USS Sioux City (LCS-11).

The future USS Sioux City (LCS-11) finishing acceptance trials in Lake Michigan in May 2018. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
The future USS Sioux City (LCS-11) finishing acceptance trials in Lake Michigan in May 2018. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed Martin is the primate contractor for the odd-numbered Freedom-variant LCSs, built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wis.

While Lockheed Martin will start replacing the current 5.5 meter RHIB with a 7 meter boat starting on LCS-23, it is first ready to put a redesigned ramp on LCS-21 and then backfit earlier ships.

Previously the RHIBs could be loaded and secured on to the ramp only if the LCS traveled up to about seven knots. Otherwise, RHIBs are secured in four reconfigurable stowage stations on the ship.

DePietro said the ramp was mostly redesigned for greater strength to handle higher slamming loads when the LCS travels at speeds up to 40 knots.

The 7 knot speed limit was not to prevent the RHIB from getting loose, since it would be tied down if prepositioned on the ramp. However, the ramp was not designed for the higher stress levels of a faster moving LCS while loaded with a RHIB.

DePietro did not have the backfitting costs on hand but confirmed the Navy is paying for this capability above and beyond the original design requirements.

The design change came out of an LCS commanding officer who, upon dealing with drug interdiction operations, realized how much time it takes to move the RHIB from the stowage stations to the ramp. DePietro said the Navy officer characterized being able to pre-load a RHIB on the ramp as a “game changer” for the boat operations.

The new stronger ramp is being set to be loaded on to LCS-21 but Lockheed Martin plans to deliver it as a post-delivery change for earlier hulls starting with the USS Milwaukee (LCS-5). Deliveries will vary across ships during some post shakedown availabilities (PSAs) and some outside PSAs. DePietro said they are working with the fleets on when to time availabilities to make the change.

He noted Lockheed Martin is trying to catch open windows when a ship is largely finished to add the ramps in newer LCSs. DePietro said there are often some periods they can use between when a crew comes aboard a new LCS and the end of the PSA.

DePietro highlighted the USS Fort Worth (LCS-3) already has the new ramp because the change was incorporated before the ship deployed to Singapore in late 2014.