By Geoff Fein
Addressing the technical challenges associated with the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) has led the service to implement design changes during the construction phase of LCS- 3 and -4 that could hinder shipbuilders from applying lessons learned to future vessels, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
Additionally, the report (GAO-10-523) issued yesterday noted that challenges with developing the three mission packages–mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and surface warfare (SuW)–has resulted in delays to the “timely fielding of promised capabilities, limiting the ships’ utility to the fleet during initial deployment,” GAO said.
“Until these challenges are resolved, it will be difficult for the Navy to align seaframe purchases with mission package procurements and execute planned tests,” the report added.
According to GAO, key mine countermeasure and surface warfare systems encountered problems in operational and other testing that delayed their fielding. For example, the report noted four of six Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System missiles did not hit their intended targets in recent testing.
The program has since been canceled. However, the Navy is still exploring ways to meet the requirement.
Additionally, planned anti-submarine warfare systems do not contribute significantly to the ASW mission, the report said.
“These combined challenges have led to procurement delays for all three mission packages,” GAO said. “Mission package delays have disrupted program test scheduels–a situation exacerbated by early deployment of initial ships–limiting their availability for operational testing.”
Until mission packages are proven, the Navy risks investing in a fleet of ships that does not deliver promised capability, GAO added.
The GAO also found that the Navy entered contract negotiations in 2009 for fiscal year ’10 seaframes with “an incomplete understanding of LCS program costs.”
The eventual cancellation of that competition led the Navy to revise its acquisition strategy to the current plan to buy 10 ships–two with an option for eight more. The Navy recently said a contract award for those first ships under the new plan won’t occur before the fall.
According to GAO, the Navy intends to conduct a more comprehensive cost estimate before award of the FY ’10 contract.
Lockheed Marin [LMT] built the USS Freedom (LCS-1) and is currently manufacturing the Fort Worth (LCS-3) at Marinette Marine.
Austal USA and General Dynamics [GD] constructed the USS Independence (LCS-2) and are building the Coronado (LCS-4).