140423-N-VD564-013 PACIFIC OCEAN (April 23, 2014) The littoral combat ships USS Independence (LCS 2), left, and USS Coronado (LCS 4) are underway in the Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Keith DeVinney/Released)
Apparently, SECDEF Ash Carter is the Grinch who stole Christmas from the Navy’s surface fleet (and gave it to Naval Aviation) by trimming its total buy of Littoral Combat Ships/Fast Frigates from 52 to 40 and ordering big blue to select a single shipbuilder and design for the class as part of its fiscal year 2017 budget.
BOOM!
The cash saved will go to buy a few more F-35s– but its all good as Navy didn’t need dem boats anyway.
“This plan reduces, somewhat, the number of LCS available for presence operations, but that need will be met by higher-end ships, and it will ensure that the warfighting forces in our submarine, surface, and aviation fleets have the necessary capabilities and posture to defeat even our most advanced potential adversaries,” read the memo.
“Forty LCS/FF will exceed recent historical presence levels and will provide a far more modern and capable ship than the patrol coastals, minesweepers, and frigates that they will replace.”
