Dual engines may be LCS’ problem

After a few years of breakdowns in both variants of the Littoral Combat Ship, primarily the Freedom Class, there are signs that a reliability problem may part of the overall design, according to a former aide to the Chief of Naval Operations. Also, the combination of small crews operating the complex combination of gas turbines and diesel engine propulsion systems implies a reason behind the current LCS stand-down to retrain engineers – only part of the problem. A complete cure may require redesigning the engines. That’s not likely to happen until the Navy comes up with its upgraded “frigate” model for LCS; but that retrofit want working on existing LCS. For the frigate design, “(T)he Navy may want to … come up with ways to simplify the propulsion architecture,” said Bryan Clark of the Center for Strategic & Budgetary Assessments, a former top aide to CNO. “It’s not really fundamentally flawed so much as the architecture is hard to support,” which is particularly problematic for LCS’ overworked crews. Using a smaller gas turbine may reduce the ships’ top speed, but would make maintenance and operation easier. (Source: Breaking Defense 08/07/16) Gulf Coast Shipbuilding Note: Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., builds the Independence class variant of LCS.