Shipbuilders study punching up LCS

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – Littoral Combat Ship builders – Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., and Lockheed Martin - are researching how to backfit more lethal capabilities into existing Freedom- and Independence-variant ships. Austal and LM are both conducting a two-phase review to upgrade original LCS hulls, Joe DePietro, Lockheed VP, told USNI News in early May. “(U)underneath our class design services contract that we already have,” the Navy issued a technical instruction awarded contract for about $2M “to go start the work on Phase 1 to develop the packages that would be for the installation and integration of those systems,” he said. The systems include Raytheon /Kongsberg’s anti-ship Naval Strike Missile, Nulka MK 53 Decoy Launching System (DLS), SLQ-32(V)6 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) system, modification to the ship’s fire control system for its 57mm guns, and a possible decision to choose one of two options to upgrade the ships’ TRS-3D combat radar or Austal USA ships’ Sea Giraffe radar. A spokesman for Austal USA declined to comment on its work on the Independence variant when contacted by USNI News. The Navy is set to review the upgraded plans later this month, ahead of a planned draft Request for Proposal, DePietro said. (Source: USNI News 05/21/19)