Page 26: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2016)

U.S. NAVY REPORT

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm.

John Richardson speaks at the 28th annual Surface Navy Association Sym- posium in the Crystal City section of

Arlington, Va. more ships. These candidates are also calling for a reduction in federal spend- ing, but they don’t talk about how to pay for a massive defense buildup.

Far from Washington, USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) continues her deployment to the

Western Paci? c. She’s been there for more than a year. Commander Logistics

Forces U.S. Seventh Fleet Rear Admi- ral Charlie Williams says LCS has been embraced by our partners in the region. “Every nation that we are operating with wants Fort Worth and LCS to come to their country and participate in the exer- cise. Size-wise, crew size, and capabili- ties – LCS is a very appropriate ship for engagement in Southeast Asia.”

Williams said that the Freedom de- ployment was very successful, “but she had some engineering reliability chal- (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jessica Bidwell) lenges that we saw that resulted in her not being able to make a couple of com- mitments. I would describe her deploy-

More guns and missiles on more plat- ocean is a less likely scenario than re- The capability would be reside in mis- forms changes the calculus. Rowden gional con? icts, threats to commerce, sion packages that could be changed ment as a proof-of concept and a ? rst de- said distributed lethality aims to give and asymmetric threats in coastal wa- based upon the threat. That’s the LCS ployment of a new ship class. We’ve had great collaboration between our ‘man, naval ships better defensive systems as ters or choke points. A number of na- concept. train, and equip’ side, as well as the op- well as packing a bigger punch. Instead tions have quiet diesel submarines or LCS wouldn’t be alone and unprotect- erational elements, examining together of an adversary focusing on the core of mines that can challenge combatants and ed. It has a core capability for self-de- the lessons learned, and going down the combat capability, the carrier, that ad- threaten merchant shipping. And even a fense regardless of what mission pack- versary has a broader problem. Multiple small, fast armed boat can be a menace, age it carries, and, when appropriate, list and making sure that we did not re- platforms will be able to “deceive, tar- especially if there are enough of them— would be defended by larger combatants peat the same mistakes. So Fort Worth’s get, and destroy.” death from a thousand cuts. with their more robust multi-mission deployment now is a great contrast to

These asymmetric threats are real, and combat capability. If you had to develop Freedom’s deployment in terms of her “It’s holding more adversaries at risk can be employed by even the smallest up with a platform for these off-board reliability and readiness.” across a wider geography.” Rowden said.

“At the beginning of Fort Worth’s

By changing the calculus of adversar- nations, or worse, non-state actors. And systems, the result would be a ship with ies, Rowden said distributed lethality compared to the middle of the ocean, the lots of volume to carry and operate the 16-month rotational deployment, she left San Diego for Hawaii, then to Guam forces adversaries to “Wake up and say, littoral waters of the world are complex off-board systems, self-defense capabili- ‘Whew. I didn’t see that coming.’” environments with varying types of ge- ties, and speed to get in and out of the and into Jakarta, Indonesia, before sail- ography, bottom types, currents, tem- threat area for launch and recovery. It ing to Singapore. She arrived here the peratures, salinity. It’s where the people should be relatively small, so you can day after the Air Asia ? ight went down

The Real Mission for LCS

LCS has been mocked—unfairly—for live, and where commerce moves … and build and operate a lot of them, so they in the Java Sea. She had a long-planned maintenance period already in place. its lack of combat power. The derision is close enough to shore where adversaries can be present where needed.

based on the argument that LCS doesn’t of all types can get to.

The LCS image problem may be the But for quite obvious reasons, we de-

If the challenge is to effectively deal result of the idea that putting together layed that maintenance and turned Fort have the ? repower or survivability of a destroyer or frigate—and those critics with these asymmetric threats in litto- these mission packages into boxes and Worth around, than placed a mobile dive ral environments, specialized systems getting them to sea wouldn’t be such and salvage unit and capability on board would be correct on that account. How- ever, that’s not what LCS was designed need to be used that can detect, track and a big deal. But it’s taken more than a Fort Worth, and she got underway and destroy them if necessary. Dedicating decade and the mine countermeasures headed straight to the Java Sea, and in for. high-value capital ships—which excel in and anti-submarine packages are still less than 24 hours was reporting for duty,

Look at it this way. and ready to conduct search and rescue

The U.S. navy has no peer when it the blue water—is a waste of their ca- not ready for prime time. The only mis- comes to open ocean “blue water” naval pability, and they would be ill-suited for sion package that truly exists at present operations. It’s a great example of the combat. The carrier strike group (CSG), the mission. is the surface warfare package, a vastly reliability, because we were able to de-

However, offboard systems could simpler combination of surface and air lay that maintenance until she came back with surface escorts and dedicated attack almost two weeks later. submarines, is the most potent combina- be employed where the host platform assets, without the complexities of work-

Williams is thinking ahead to 2018, tion of naval power a? oat. If an enemy could remain outside the highest threat ing underwater.

has the means to get out into the blue area and deploy manned or unmanned

With the crowded ? eld of presidential when four LCS ships that are slated to be rotationally deployed to Singapore water to challenge the CSG, it will not aircraft, surface vehicles or undersea candidate wanting to criticize the ad- “I can envision a time during any prevail. vehicles to deal with those asymmetric ministration, it has become fashionable

But all-out war in the middle of the threats of subs, mines, and surface craft. to call for a bigger, stronger force, and month out of the year where we have one 26 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • FEBRUARY 2016

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