Littoral Combat Ship Modules
LCS is significantly different from other classes of warships in a number of ways. The two most noteworthy are an aggressive spiral development acquisition process that begins deploying and employing LCS while still working out major operational and ship design details, and the design of mission modules that allows each LCS to have the flexibility and adaptability to quickly reconfigure from one warfare specialty to another.
The LCS seaframe without any mission module is a warship with warfare capabilities. It has sensors and weapons, is capable of safe navigation, receives and contributes to the Common Tactical Picture (CTP) and performs limited operational tasking consistent with its capabilities. When a mission module with support personnel is embarked, the now mission focused LCS presents considerably more capabilities than the seaframe, to include defensive capabilities.
The modular Mission Packages are a central feature of the LCS design and will provide the main war fighting capability and functionality for specific mission areas. A Mission Package may consist of a combination of modules, manned and unmanned off-board vehicles, deployable sensors, and mission manning detachments. The modules will be integrated in the ships' module stations or zones. The ship's module stations will have defined volumes, structures, and support service connections.
The LCS design must meet the critical performance parameter requirements for mission reconfigurability. The ship's open system architecture will affordably maximize lifecycle flexibility foruse of future systems upgrades and required mission systems change-out. This will facilitate the separate production and platform integration ofmodular mission systems. The major elements of the open systems architecture, module stations, functional element zones, standard interfaces, links, controls etc., will be designed to accommodate future Mission Packages, future ship flights, and technology refresh. Mission packages, to the greatest extent possible, should integrate into the Seaframe's core command and control architecture to minimize the use ofunique equipment.
In all mission configurations the LCS shall have core systems that provide the capability to conduct precise navigation to avoid previously identified minefields, and enable the employment of off-board or onboard sensors to perform mine avoidance along the LCS' intended track. When equipped with the appropriate Mission Package, the LCS will conduct mine warfare missions along its intended track and in operational areas as assigned with on-board and off-board systems from deep water through the beach. Mission requirements may dictate employing different package configurations on multiple LCSs.
Mine & Inshore Warfare [MIW]
The LCS will make use of MIW environmental models and databases. The Mission Package will enable LCS to:- Detect classify and identify surface, moored and bottom mines to permit maneuver or use ofselected sea areas.
- Coordinate/support mission planning and execution with Joint and Combined assets in the absence ofdedicated MIW command and control platforms. MIW mission planning will include the use oforganic and remotely operated sensors. The LCS will exchange MIW tactical information including Mine Danger Areas (MDA), mine locations, mine types, environmental data, bottom maps, off-board system locations, planned search areas and confidence factors.
- Conduct mine reconnaissance.
- Perform bottom mapping.
- Perform minefield break through/punch through operations using off-board systems.
- Perform minesweeping using off-board mission system.
- Conduct precise location and reporting of a full range of MCM contact data. For example: identified mines and non-mine bottom objects.
- Perform mine neutralization.
- Employ, reconfigure, and support MH-60S for MIW operations.
- Embark an EOD detachment.
- Deploy, control, and recover off-board systems, and process data from off-board systems.
Surface Warfare
In all mission configurations the LCS shall have core systems that provide the capability to conduct multi-sensor search, detection, classification, localization and tracking of surface contacts in its assigned area ofresponsibility. The LCS will also have the core capability to protect itself against small boat attacks, including the use of speed and maneuverability, and have the core capability to conduct warning and disabling fire. When equipped with the appropriate Mission Package, the LCS will have the capability to engage surface threats, particularly small fast boats, to minimize threats to friendly units. The Mission Package will enable LCS to:
- Conduct integrated surface surveillance using onboard and offboard sensors.
- Discriminate and identify friendly and neutral surface vessels from surface threats in high-density shipping environments.
- Conduct coordinated SUW mission planning, contribute to and receive the Common Tactical Picture, and initiate engagement of surface threats. Maintain and share situational awareness and tactical control in a coordinated SUW environment. When operating in company with other SUW assets, such as fixed-wing/rotarywing attack aircraft and maritime patrol aircraft, the LCS must be capable of planning and coordinating the SUW mission.
- Engage surface threats independently, as part of a LCS group, and in coordination with other friendly forces. This includes threats in the line-of-sight and over-thehorizon. In addition to hard kill capabilities, the LCS will use agility and speed, signature management and soft kill measures to disrupt the threat's detect-to-engage sequence and conduct offensive operations against surface threats.
- Deploy, control, and recover off-board systems, and process data from off-board systems.
- Employ, reconfigure, and support MH-60 series helicopters and smaller rotary wing aircraft for SUW operations.
- Conduct SUW Battle Damage Assessment after engagements against surface threats.
The Navy is moving forward with development of the Surface Warfare (SUW) Mission Package -— a self-contained set of remote sensors and precision attack weapons designed to combat small, fast boat terrorist threats to the fleet. The SUW package is one of three “plug and fight” packages being built for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), an advanced seaframe that uses modularity and open architecture concepts to provide the Navy with a fast, affordable, and rapidly reconfigurable ship tailored for operations in littoral waters.
When integrated into the LCS, the SUW package augments the ship’s capability to conduct surface surveillance using off-board sensors, and to engage surface threats both in the line of sight and over the horizon. The other two packages under simultaneous development for the LCS are the mine countermeasures and antisubmarine warfare packages.
The Program Executive Officer Littoral and Mine Warfare's LCS Mission Modules Program Office manages the development and acquisition of LCS mission packages. The Navy’s surface warfare package will enable the LCS to protect high-value naval assets and friendly surface vessels, both military and non-military, while conducting maritime security operations in high-density shipping environments.
The SUW mission package contains several sensor, weapon, and software components packaged in a modular fashion that easily and quickly swaps in and out of the LCS. These components include electro-optical/infrared sensors mounted on a vertical take off unmanned air vehicle to provide over-the-horizon detection; 30mm guns to kill close-in targets; four non-line-of-sight launching system (NLOS-LS) container launch units or “missile-in-a-box” systems, with each system containing 15 offensive missiles; and the MH-60R armed helicopter for surveillance and attack missions.
The SUW mission package has software that interfaces with the LCS command and control system to maintain and share situational awareness and tactical control in a coordinated SUW environment. The software supports SUW mission planning, receives and processes the common tactical picture, runs surveillance operations and, if required, initiates offensive actions against surface threats.
The prime contractor for NLOS-LS is Netfires LLC, a joint venture between Raytheon Missile Systems and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. The NLOS-LS is part of the U.S. Army’s Future Combat System, managed by the Program Executive Officer Missiles and Space. The first two SUW mission packages assembled for developmental and operational testing use the Mark 46 30mm gun made by General Dynamics Amphibious Systems. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren division is the technical direction agent for the SUW mission package, with NSWC Port Hueneme division providing integrated logistics and testing support.
Anti-Submarine Warfare
In all mission configurations the LCS shall have core systems that provide the capability to detect threat torpedoes at sufficient range to permit initiation ofeffective countermeasure and/or maneuver action to defeat the threat. When equipped with the appropriate ASW Mission Package, the LCS will conduct multi-sensor ASW detection, classification, localization, tracking and engagement ofsubmarines throughout the water column in the littoral operating environment. The LCS will have the capability to embark ASW/multi-mission helicopters and unmanned vehicles, and will utilize Undersea Surveillance Systems, environmental models and databases. The Mission Package will enable LCS to:
- Conduct offensive ASW operations. The LCS must achieve a mission abort or sink a threat submarine, if the submarine target of interest is transiting through a designated key choke point or operating (e.g., patrolling) in a designated search/surveillance area.
- Conduct defensiveASW operations. The LCS must defeat threat submarine attacks against units operating in company with CSGs, ESGs, or LCS squadrons. The LCS must achieve a mission abort or sink a threat submarine that poses a threat to any friendly units.
- Conduct coordinated ASW, contribute to the Common Undersea Picture, maintain and share situational awareness and tactical control in a coordinated ASW environment.
- Maintain the surface picture while conducting ASW in a high-density shipping environment.
- Detect, classify, localize, track and attack diesel submarines operating on batteries in a shallow water environment to include submarines resting on the sea floor.
- Perform acoustic range prediction and ASW search planning.
- Conduct integrated undersea surveillance employing on-board and off-board systems.
- Achieve a mission kill ofASW threats through engagement with hard kill weapons from on-board and off-board systems.
- Employ signature management and soft kill systems to counter and disrupt the threat's detect-to-engage sequence in the littoral environment.
- Deploy, control, recover, and conduct day and night operations with towed and offboard systems, and process data from off-board systems.
- Employ, reconfigure, and support MH-60R in ASW operations.
- Conduct ASW Battle Damage Assessment after engagements against undersea threats.
Lockheed Martin Sea TALON (Tactical Littoral Ocean Network) system successfully completed several significant testing milestones in mid-2006 in its development as an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) mission module for the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). Sea TALON is a unique undersea surveillance system that uses a Remote Towed Active Source (RTAS), a multi-band transducer networked with a Remote Towed Array (RTA), to provide search, detection and localization of quiet submarines in the littorals. Each array is towed by an unmanned, semi-autonomous, semi-submersible Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMV), an ASW-variant of Lockheed Martin’s AN/WLD-1 Remote Minehunting System. The RMV, launched and controlled remotely from a forward-deployed LCS, will provide the Navy’s first unmanned, organic, real-time ASW capability, significantly enhancing ship and crew safety.
Testing conducted in mid-2006 offshore of Lockheed Martin’s Riviera Beach, FL facility verified two important parameters for the Sea TALON program’s capabilities to serve aboard the LCS. The tests demonstrated that the RTAS and RTA could achieve the necessary depth for the best acoustic performance and that the RMV’s stability was not affected during the towing of the active source and passive receiver at various speeds and depths. Sea TALON successfully leverages several important Navy programs and technologies, including towed array development, use of common software baselines to achieve efficient use of computer programming resources, plus the unmanned vehicle and architecture from RMS.
Further in-water testing was conducted in late 2006 at the Navy’s test facility at Seneca Lake near Syracuse, NY. Final integration and test were conducted in 2007 at Lockheed Martin’s Riviera Beach, FL facility. Its rapid development and maturity enabled delivery to the first LCS ASW Mission Package in 2008.
Special Operations Forces
The LCS will have an array of inherent capabilities including Joint Littoral Mobility, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Special Operations Forces support, Maritime Interdiction Operations, Homeland Defense, and Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection.
The LCS' speed, agility, and shallow draft will give it the inherent capability to provide rapid movement of small groups ofpersonnel and material. When equipped with the appropriate Mission Package, the LCS will provide transport and limited lift capability to move personnel, supplies and equipment within the littoral operating environment. The Mission Package will enable LCS to:
- Provide facilities for secure stowage of transported materials and equipment.
- Provide habitability support for transported personnel.
- Replenishment and refueling at sea of MH-60 sized non-organic helicopters and SOF craft/boats.
Intellience Surveillance and Reconnaissance o
In all mission configurations the LCS shall have core systems that provide that level of persistent ISR consistent with the use ofinstalled apertures, automated data collection, storage and processing: emphasizing LCS as an information node for through-put. ISR coverage will include surface, overland and electronic domains, When equipped with the appropriate Mission Package, the LCS will provide enhanced collection and onboard processing capabilities using onboard systems and off-board vehicles and sensors and in some cases embarked detachments that include the capability to conduct Information Operations (TO), Electronic Warfare (EW), Military Deception (MILDEC), Operational Security (OPSEC), Computer Network Defense/Attack (CND/CNA), and Psychological Operations (PSYOP). The LCS will have the command and control architecture and systems to conduct ISR planning and coordination, make near-real-time input to enhance decision making, and facilitate order generation, weapons direction and ship system monitoring and control. The Mission Package will enable LCS to:
- Use organic and non-organic resources to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance operations with onboard and off board equipment.
- Use organic and non-organic resources to collect, process and disseminate strategic, operational and tactical information.
- Use ISR planning, coordination and execution tools.
Naval Special Warfare
The LCS will have the inherent core capability to provide rapid movement of small groups of SOF personnel and material due to the LCS' speed, agility, and shallow draft. When equipped with the appropriate Mission Package, the LCS will have the following SOF capabilities:
- Support Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Task Unit and surface/subsurface combatant craft and mobility platforms, or their JSOF equivalent including weapons and equipment stowage, berthing, C4ISR connectivity and space within the hull for mission planning and rehearsal.
- Launch, recover, and conduct organic maintenance on multiple embarked and organic craft specified in section 3.1.
- Support Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) [MEU(SOC)] and JSOF hostage rescue operations, aircraft operations for helicopters such as the MH-60S.
- Support maritime Special Operations with the capability to refuel MK V Special Operations Craft (SOC) and follow-on (Special Operations Forces) Medium Range Insertion Craft (MRTC).
- Support SOF in Noncombatant Evacuation Operations (NEO).
- Provide compressed air (diver quality) for the SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV).
- Embark a Fly Away Recompression Chamber (FARC).
- Support and conduct Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) operations.
- Support a Tactical Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (TSCIF).
Maritime Intercept Operations
The LCS will have the inherent core capability to support MIO due to the LCS' speed, agility, and shallow draft, and have the core capability to conduct warning and disabling fire, When equipped with the proper Mission Package, the LCS will have the capability to:
- Perform maritime interception and interdiction operations.
- Provide staging areas for MIO teams.
- Provide a secure holding area detainees.
- Employ, reconfigure, and support MH-60 and smaller rotary wing aircraft for MIO.
Homeland Defense (HLD)
The LCS will have the inherent core capability to support the HLD by providing rapid movement of small groups of personnel and material due to the LCS' speed, agility, and shallow draft. When equipped with the proper Mission Package, the LCS will perform operations to support national and coalition policy. In support of national security and HLD objectives, the ship will be capable of supporting and conducting missions in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). The Mission Package will enable LCS to:
- Perform maritime interception, interdiction and law enforcement operations.
- Provide staging areas for boarding teams.
- Conduct maritime Law Enforcement Operations (LEO) including counter-narcotic operations with embarked law enforcement detachment.
- Provide emergency, humanitarian, and disaster assistance.
- Support JSOF hostage rescue operations.
- Conduct marine environmental protection.
- Perform naval diplomatic presence operations.
- Employ, reconfigure, and support MH-60 and smaller rotary wing aircraft for HLD, and AT/FP operations.
Antiterrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP)
The LCS will have the inherent core capability to conduct AT/FP through its speed, agility, and shallow draft. When equipped with the proper Mission Package will:
- Perform maritime interception, interdiction and law enforcement operations.
- Provide staging areas for boarding teams.
- Conduct maritime Law Enforcement Operations (LEO) including counter-narcotic operations with embarked law enforcement detachment.
- Provide AT/FP to U.S. and friendly forces against attack in port, at anchorage, and during period ofrestricted maneuvering. Defensive capability will incorporate both passive design and active weapon measures, including non-lethal mechanisms, that can deter, delay, and defend against attack by terrorist and unconventional threats,
- Employ, reconfigure, and support MH-60 and smaller rotary wing aircraft for HLD, and AT/FP operations.
