Pentagon to trim LCS orders

The Navy has been told to cut back its order for littoral combat ships from 52 to 32 vessels, Pentagon sources told Defense News. A Jan. 6 memo from Acting Deputy Defense Secretary Christine Fox detailed the decision after the Defense Department received its 2015 budget guidance. Three of the ships are already in service with a fourth to be commissioned in the spring. The Navy originally planned to build 52 LCS, with 12 of those coming from Austal USA, which has production facilities in Mobile. (Source: Defense News, al.com, 01/15/14)