Littoral Ship’s Fitness for Asia Questioned by Some in U.S. Navy

By Tony Capaccio Apr 10, 2014 12:01 AM ET

U.S. Navy officers in the Pacific fleet say the service’s Littoral Combat Ship may lack the speed, range and electronic warfare capabilities needed to operate in Asian waters, according to a congressional audit.

“Several 7th Fleet officials told us they thought the LCS in general might be better suited to operations” in the smaller Persian Gulf, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a 56-page report, labeled “For Official Use Only,” obtained by Bloomberg News.

The Navy should consider buying fewer of the ships if its limitations prevent effective use in the Pacific, according to the report by GAO, Congress’s watchdog agency. The report follows others that have questioned the cost, mission and survivability in combat of the ship that’s designed to operate in shallow coastal waters.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a Feb. 24 memo that “considerable reservations” led him to bar negotiations for any more than 32 of the vessels, 20 fewer than called for in the Navy’s $34 billion program. The Littoral Combat ship is made in two versions by Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) and Austal Ltd. (ASB)

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-10/littoral-ship-s-fitness-for-asia-questioned-in-u-s-navy.html