LCS Rewrites The Rules of Surface Warfare

Strategy Page ^ | 5/8/08

[Dawnsblood]

The surface warfare module for the U.S. Navy's new LCS (Littoral Combat Ships) will contain an unusual collection of weapons. The only familiar item will be a MH-60R (a navalized Blackhawk) helicopter, armed with a 12.7mm machine-gun and Hellfire missiles (with a range of 8 kilometers). There will be three other aircraft, all RQ-8A Fire Scout UAVs. Each of these is a 1.5 ton unmanned helicopter, that will be armed with 70mm laser guided DAGR missiles. These 25 pound missiles have a range of six kilometers. There will be two 23 foot long Spartan USVs (unmanned surface vehicles), each armed with a 30mm auto cannon and a Javelin anti-tank missile (range of 2.5 kilometers). The 30mm cannon has about the same range, and both it and the Javelin are there to destroy small patrol boats, or any other hostile craft. The USV will also carry a net for fouling the propeller of ships and boats. This use of UAVs and USVs for surface warfare is new, and tactics and operating procedures have to be worked out.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Cool stuff.

A good friend of mine who served in the Navy on a submarine once told me, "There are only two kinds of vessels in the world. Submarines and targets."

[IonImplantGuru]

[familyop]

That was nearly true in the past, but now, submarines are targets in other ways, even from the air. That’s why friendly western nations have been trying to talk India and Taiwan out of being too sub-happy.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

That was nearly true in the past, but now, submarines are targets in other ways, even from the air.

That is also very true.

I have another good friend who also served in the Navy servicing the P3 Orion. That platform along with satellite and other shipborne ASW technologies effectively decreases the efficacy of the submarine as the premier 'sword tip' of our stealth nuclear arsenal.