Freedom LCS behind schedule

Lockheed Martin Corp. will deliver its eight remaining Littoral Combat Ships - being built at Marinette (Wis.) Marine - on an average of 11 months late, more than two-times the delay of its rival shipbuilder, Austal USA shipyards of Mobile, Ala., according to Navy estimates. The two contractors build different variants of LCS - Freedom and Independence (Austal). Austal’s performance may give the U.S.-based shipyard of Australia’s Austal Ltd. an advantage in competition for a future guided-missile frigate design. Delays have kept LCS from the Navy, which has readiness and ship shortfalls. Navy attributed the delays to recently resolved old production issues and maintaining Marinette’s skilled workforce. Marinette’s most recent Freedom variant ship, USS Little Rock, was delivered 13 months past the contracted delivery date. The next three Marinette LCS, Sioux City, Wichita and Billings, will be delivered in January, June and December 2018. They were contracted for delivery for February and July 2017, and February of 2018. The Navy plans to spend $21B on the LCS program. At least $17.4B has been approved. Michelle Bowden, an Austal spokesperson, said the production line in Mobile is “mature and stable”; and the firm is “on schedule to deliver four” of its next ships in 24 months. The Navy frigate program has two phases: Recently released Request For Proposals for conceptual design contracts to be awarded in FY 2018; and the construction contract to be awarded in 2020. RFPs are due Dec. 18. Past performance is one of five evaluation factors. However, Shelby Oakley, director of shipbuilding for the Government Accountability Office, said that it is “not clear that LCS delays are significant to the frigate program.” (Source: Bloomberg News 12/12/17)