Update: Navy re-proposes 2nd LCS

WASHINGTON - The Navy released its proposed $194.1 billion (Base and Overseas Contingency Operations) budget Feb. 12 for FY 2019, which is part of the $716B overall defense budget President Trump submitted to Congress. This year's budget request is focused on growing readiness, capability, and capacity of the Navy/Marine Corps team and to build a more lethal and agile force. Among the proposed buys is one Littoral Combat Ship. The proposal includes a $63.4B (base/OCO) for operation and maintenance, maximum funding for aviation and ship depot maintenance, and the flight-hour program. The submission includes a $58.5B (base/OCO) procurement to buy 10 new ships, including three Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, two submarines, a single LCS, and one expeditionary staging base. Additionally, the proposal funds the construction of 120 aircraft in FY-19. The budget supports funding for personnel career-development initiatives, and a 2.6 percent pay raise. (Source: Navy Office of Information 02/12/18) The president also unveiled his $4.4 trillion federal government budget proposal for FY-19. The Navy plans to stop buying LCS and start purchasing the FFG(X) future frigate in 2020, according to the future-year defense planning projections. Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., builds the Independence variant of LCS.
UPDATE: The Navy opted to buy just one LCS, just like it did last year, but turned around the next day and requested a second LCS. Some lawmakers wanted a third LCS for FY-2018 – though Congress still has not passed a defense spending bill for FY-19 to support the shipbuilding industrial base. The Navy will upgrade to a next-generation frigate (FFG(X)) design in 2020, and both LCS builders – Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., and Marinette (Wis.) Marine – have said they need a minimum of three ships per year between the shipyards to remain viable until the frigate contract award is made. In the Navy’s LCS portion of the ship acquisition plan, there is a requirement to build 32 ships. The programmed ship in FY-19 is the 32nd LCS. https://news.usni.org/2018/02/12/navy-grow-fleet-46-ships-5-years-plans-increase-deployed-hulls-30-percent