LCS yards worried ahead of FFG-X

The Navy plans to buy one Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) in its FY 2019 budget request, which has both LCS shipbuilders - Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., and Lockheed Martin/Fincantieri Marine of Marinette, Wis. - uncomfortable with only two years from the contract award for a next-generation guided missile frigate (FFG(X)), and the selection of one contractor. In 2017, the Navy was outspoken about the need for a minimum of three LCS per year rate until the new FFG(X) design-award was made. But a year later, new leadership is confident in the one ship buy for FY-19 that would leave one of the two builders without an FY-19 ship-build. The Navy had planned to buy 52 LCSs, but broke up the Small Surface Combatant requirement into 32 LCSs and 20 frigates. Both shipbuilders claimed any reduction in the volume of ship-builds would negatively impact the industrial base and suppliers as well as the ability to efficiently transition to the FFG(X). Currently there are five companies working with the Navy on maturing designs. Three have ties to the current LCS production lines. Austal is pitching a derivative of its Independence-variant LCS, Lockheed Martin/Fincantieri are pitching a derivative of its Freedom-class LCS, and Fincantieri/Lockheed are pitching the Italian FREMM - European multi-purpose frigate - design. Disrupting production lines may put LCS shipyards in a less-than-optimal efficiency position with not enough work to keep a skilled workforce together when the Navy begins its FFG(X) program. (Source: USNI News 03/02/18)