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IMDEX Asia: Austal up-guns LCS to frigate standard

17th May 2017 - 12:00 GMT | by Tim Fish in Singapore

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A new model of a trimaran vessel from Austal USA is on display that could be one of the designs on offer for the US Navy’s future frigate programme.

The frigate design uses the same platform as the Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) that the company has already built for the US Navy, but with increased lethality and greater multi-mission capabilities installed for sea control missions.

Austal states in its specifications that the frigate would displace 3,500t – just 200t more than the LCS – although its speed would likely be less than tthe 40kt of the latter. There are

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