Navy Opts for Speed, Innovation in LCS Design Winners

Sea Power, Jul 2004 by Munns, David W

Variety in Lockheed, General Dynamics Proposals May Provide Future Tradeoffs

The Navy underscored its sense of urgency and determination to foster new technologies with the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program by awarding two final system design contracts with options for detail design and construction to Lockheed Martin's Maritime Systems & Sensors Division and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, while rejecting a bid by Raytheon.

The two winning contractors will design and build up to two ships each in this phase of the program.

Lockheed offered a more traditional approach with a semi-planing monohull design, emphasizing low-cost construction and proven ship architecture. General Dynamics' design featured a larger ship size and included more innovative technologies, such as composite materials and a transformational trimaran hull design.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Vern Clark expressed the need for expediency in the execution of the LCS program noting, "LCS will deliver capabilities to enable our Navy to dominate in this critical littoral region." He emphasized that the ships will be a vital component of naval strike groups, adding, "We need this ship today."

John J. Young, Jr., assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, said, "The acquisition team is successfully changing how we buy ships completing the source selection on schedule and developing affordable designs that can adapt to changing technology."

Rear Adm. Charles S. Hamilton II, program executive officer for naval ships, declined to comment on why Raytheon's bid was turned down, but did say "technical, management and cost factors" facilitated the Navy's decision. He noted that Raytheon had "a very interesting design, but did not measure as well against some of [the other] criteria" as did the General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin teams.

A Washington, D.C.-based naval analyst said the decision gives the Navy maximum opportunity for tradeoffs between the two winners because of the variance between the designs, pointing to the speed and lift of Lockheed's design as a more traditional approach, whereas General Dynamics offered a more transformational design by using composite materials and more leading edge technologies.

General Dynamics was awarded approximately $78.8 million while Lockheed Martin's contract award was $46.5 million. The variance in award amounts was attributed to Lockheed's aggressive low-cost proposal, which was achieved by investing large amounts of money in its program to ensure its final design is ready so production can begin in January 2005.

The analyst suggested that General Dynamics and Raytheon both used transformational approaches to their proposed build; however General Dynamics was able to provide a greater comfort level for production than the Raytheon team.

The Navy awarded $10 million LCS preliminary design contracts on July 17, 2003, to General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The final design phase of the program continues through Jan. 18, 2005, when the Navy plans to exercise the program's first construction option. The service plans to award a second construction option on Dec. 31, 2005.

Over the long term, the LCS program could produce as many as 56 hulls, under the Navy's notional force structure plan, or as few as 37 hulls, should the fleet force structure remain below 300 ships. LCS could be worth almost $4 billion through fiscal year 2009, with a scheduled procurement of nine hulls.

The LCS designs will be based on new hull forms with new propulsion systems and drafts of 20 feet or less. The key characteristics of the new ships will be economical loiter speeds, sustained high transit speeds, sprint capability of 40-50 knots and low sensor signature. LCS will have basic systems including guns, missiles and countermeasures for self defense; integrated navigation and command-and-control systems; and a small core crew to man the vessel.

The distinguishing characteristics of the LCS hulls will be their mission modules. The Navy plans three types of modules, or packages of equipment, which could be loaded and unloaded depending on the type of mission the LCS ships undertake. One type of mission module will contain improved detection, surveillance and defensive equipment for antisubmarine warfare. Another will include systems for defeating surface threats, such as small boats. A third type of module will contain equipment to accelerate mine warfare missions.

By DAVID W. MUNNS

Assistant Editor