Navy Unveils Surprise Plan For Littoral Combat Ships
By Paul McLeary on April 29, 2021 at 2:15 PM
USS Gabrielle Giffords in the South China Sea in 2020 with the Naval Strike Missile mounted.
WASHINGTON: The Navy plans to put its new Naval Strike Missile on 31 of its 35 Littoral Combat ships over the next 18 months, while outfitting 15 ships with an anti-submarine module, and 15 others with anti-mine capabilities.
That breakneck pace of the proposed LCS upgrades is the clearest sign yet of the Navy’s concern over its being outgunned by the Chinese surface navy, and the premium being placed on keeping eye on new generations of capable Chinese and Russian submarines prowling below.
The new details were offered by Adm. Mike Gilday in testimony before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, representing his most ambitious public comments concerning the LCS fleet to date.
https://breakingdefense.com/2021/04/navy-unveils-surprise-plan-for-littoral-combat-ships/