As the US Navy maps out a long term plan for its future surface fleet a service official said that the problematic Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme was now doing ‘just fine’.
Speaking on 15 January at the annual Surface Navy Association event in Washington, DC, VADM Richard Brown, commander, naval surface forces/commander, naval surface force, US Pacific Fleet, said that the LCS are capable ships but acknowledged that ‘the class really starts at LCS 5’ with LCS 1 through 4 seen more as research and development vessels.
Brown also said that the LCS would be deployed ‘this year’.
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The USCG plans to award a contract this year for the construction of Homeland Security Cutters. The new vessels will replace the 60-plus-year-old fleet of Light Icebreaking Tugs.
The expansion of the Redstone facility in Alabama will enable Raytheon to increase production of Standard Missiles in the location by 50% and support Washington in refilling stockpiles after recent operations have depleted the Pentagon’s reserves.
Major naval initiatives including the European Patrol Corvette programmes and Norway’s UK partnership-focused purchase of Type 26 frigates point to the growing interest in the advantages of commonality across allied navies.
The UK Royal Navy’s rapid procurement of uncrewed platforms aligns with the force’s strategic shift towards a fleet better equipped to handle modern threats.
The Astute-class submarine’s visit to Australia was the first time maintenance activity on a UK Royal Navy nuclear submarine had been carried out in the country.
The offensive against Iran could impact training and maintenance cycles and accelerate the degradation of the US arsenal on top of depleting Washington’s stockpiles.
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