Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal water battlespace. A fast, maneuverable and networked surface combatant, the LCS provides the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute focused missions close to the shore such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare. The LCS will be the first surface combatant to be classed under the new Naval Vessel Rules by the American Bureau of Shipping.

A flexible and reconfigurable seaframe, LCS derives combat capability from rapidly interchangeable mission modules and an open architecture command and control system. Modularity maximizes the flexibility of LCS and enables commanders to meet changing warfare needs, while also supporting spiral development and technology refresh. LCS will be networked to share tactical information with other naval aircraft, ships, submarines, joint and coalition units and LCS groups, providing commanders with the right information quickly and efficiently.

LCS is a new type of warship designed to meet the unique challenges of defending our country's interests in the coastal waters battle space where the U.S. Navy will increasingly face challenges in the future. Its first missions will include anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, and mine warfare. The Lockheed Martin-led team designed an innovative hull, or seaframe, that exceeds all Navy operational requirements for LCS, while also offering advantages as a low-cost, low-risk design.

With a length of 378 ft. and a beam of 57 ft., LCS will operate in less than 13 feet of water - giving the ship access to thousands of more ports and littoral waters worldwide than today's Navy combatants. The design combines high-speed maneuverability with a comfortable seakeeping motion that supports launch and recovery operations, combat missions and optimal human performance from the crew. For example, the ship can turn 360 degrees in less than eight lengths at its rated sprint speed; it also can accelerate to full speed in less than two minutes.

Four large, acoustically optimized waterjets provide flexible, high performance propulsion from two diesel powerplants and two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines. This adaptable and reliable power system will provide excellent performance over the range of speeds required for LCS missions.

A simple but innovative feature of the design is the ship's ability to simultaneously launch, handle, and recover manned and unmanned systems, such as small boats and robotic watercraft, quickly and safely. The design uses an overhead tracked crane system for loading and handling mission packages, significantly accelerating ship reconfiguration both pierside and at sea with a small crew and higher levels of safety. The ship's low profile enhances its stealth qualities, and supports excellent water access through stern and side doors, making it a superior platform for special operations forces.

The Lockheed Martin team design, a proven semi-planing steel monohull, provides outstanding agility and high-speed maneuverability with known seakeeping characteristics to support launch and recovery operations, mission execution and optimum crew comfort. The Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), named Sea BladeT, is a fast, affordable, low-risk approach designed to dominate the shallow waters surrounding an enemy's shores - one of the greatest challenges facing the Navy.

LCS is the Navy's number one budget priority and is a key element of its Sea Power 21 strategic vision for defending the nation and projecting offensive naval operations. The LCS provides the Navy with fast, maneuverable and shallow draft ships aimed at maximizing mission flexibility. Key attributes of the design include low cost, low risk, high speed, shallow draft, maneuverability, and a capacity to accommodate the full range of focused mission packages to defeat enemy mines, fast swarming small boats, diesel-electric submarines and other threats. Lockheed Martin also will have responsibilities as the systems and modularity architect, and lead the overall program management and cost analysis work.

Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship Contractor Team

Lockheed Martin is a global leader in maritime systems integration and serves as prime contractor for the team's Sea BladeT design. The Lockheed Martin-led team includes naval architect Gibbs & Cox, ship builders Marinette Marine and Bollinger Shipyards, as well as best-of-industry domestic and international teammates to provide a low-risk, affordable LCS solution. Principal members on the Lockheed Martin team include naval architect Gibbs & Cox and mid-market ship builders Bollinger Shipyards and Marinette Marine. This team provides the Navy with a proven capability to deliver innovative industry approaches to the design, development and construction of LCS at an affordable price.

Gibbs & Cox, Inc. is responsible for the overall seaframe design, including integration of the hull, mechanical and electrical systems. Specializing in surface combatant design and integration, Gibbs & Cox, Inc., brings more than 70 years of naval engineering expertise to the LCS program. Ships on active duty in nearly 20 navies around the globe, including 60 percent of the U.S. Navy's surface combatant fleet, are built to Gibbs & Cox, Inc. designs. The firm also provides engineering and design support directly to the U.S. Navy in early phase design and development of future systems for the Navy's surface combatant fleet.

Bollinger Shipyards and Marinette Marine will employ proven materials and construction techniques that have successfully delivered more than 190 ships on time and on budget in the last 10 years. These mid-size shipyards are ideally suited and optimally sized for building LCS class ships. Combined, Bollinger Shipyards and Marinette Marine have built more than 135 ships for the Navy and Coast Guard. In addition to the principal team members, Sea BladeT core team support includes high-speed ship expertise from Donald L. Blount and Associates, IZAR, Fincantieri and NAVATEK; modularity expertise from Blohm + Voss; and functional expertise from Angle, Inc., ABS, BBN Technologies, Charters Technical Services, DRS Technologies and MA&D.

Using an open business model, the Lockheed Martin LCS team will continue to recruit "best of breed" technical specialists from the U.S. and abroad.