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Littoral Combat Ship Design

The LCS was to be configured with core systems and a Mission Package that will enable the ship to perform all core ship functions and at least one focused mission or inherent capability. A core system is a system that is resident in the LCS in all configurations with the purpose ofcarrying out core ship functions such as self-defense, navigation, and C41, or other capabilities common to all mission areas. To allow for spiral development, core systems may or may not be modular. A Mission Package is a functional grouping ofsystems that is integrated in LCS to give it the capability to execute a focused mission or inherent mission. The LCS shall have the capability to change out Mission Packages in order to shift missions.

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 ofmodules, 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 was to 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.

The LCS was to have hull structural strength and provisions for growth allowances and fatigue life in accordance with its expected service life. The ship will withstand extreme environmental conditions such as high sea state, wind and air/sea temperature. The ship will withstand impacts from tugs, piers, and other hazards typical to routine ship operations in navigable waters. Tankage volume shall reflect environmental as well as fluid management requirements. It will provide adequate static and dynamic stability to ensure safe and efficient ship operation and not degrade personnel performance.

The LCS will incorporate a total ship approach to survivability that addresses susceptibility, vulnerability, and recoverability, with crew survival as the primary objective. The principal means to be employed will be to minimize susceptibility through speed, agility, signature management and the core self-defense weapon suite. The LCS' capability to reduce vulnerability by absorbing a weapon impact and retain seaworthiness and weapons system capability will be commensurate with ship's size and hull displacement and will emphasize crew survival and automated damage control and firefighting applications. The LCS will meet the requirements for Level I in accordance with OPNAVINST 9070. 1. In addition to Level I requirements, the LCS was to have the capability to:

• Similar to SMARTSHIP technologies, automate damage control actions to the most practical extent to support optimum manning level requirements to include automatic detection, location, classification and management offire, heat, toxic gases and flooding, structural damage and hull breaching throughout the ship using a ship's damage control management system.
• Economically maximize personnel protection, prevention ofship loss, and retention of self-defenses capability through the use offragmentation protection.
• Employ an appropriate level ofcollective protection against chemical, biological, and radiological threats.
• Deploy life rafts and other survival equipment in both intact and damaged conditions. Equipment must support 120% ofthe ship's maximum manning capacity.
• Incorporate signature management to deny and disrupt the enemy's detect-to-engage sequence to reduce the probability that the ship will be hit by a threat.
• Monitor and control own ship emissions (EMCON) and apply tactical signature control through rapid control ofelectronic, infrared, optical and acoustic signatures in anti-surveillance, anti-targeting, and self defense roles.
• Monitor own ship magnetic and acoustic signature to maximize ship survivability when operating in the vicinity ofa minefield.

The LCS shall have core systems that provide the capability detect, identify, track, and protect itself against anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs) and threat aircraft. Self-defense capability against the other threats is listed in the appropriate warfare section. Specifically, the LCS will:

• Employ signature management, hard kill and soft kill systems to counter and disrupt the threats detect-to-engage sequence in the littoral environment, and have networked capabilities to improve situational awareness to complement hard kill, soft kill and signature management systems.
• Have the capability to provide point defense against ASCMs and threat aircraft through the use of hard-kill and soft-kill systems, counter-targeting, speed, and maneuverability. LCS will be Link16 and CEC (receive only) capable. For Flight 0 LCS, the capabilities provided by CIWS Mk 15 Blk lB. RAM, and NULKA should be considered.
• Have the capability to operate in clear and severe natural and electronic countermeasures environments inherent in littoral operating areas.
• Have the capability to evaluate engagements against air targets.

The LCS will maneuver and maintain itself in all expected operational environments and situations with emphasis on the worldwide littoral operating environment. It will be self-deployable and operate with naval strike and expeditionary forces. The ship's draft will permit it to operate in the littoral. The LCS will:

• Provide the speed and endurance to deploy and operate with CSG, ESG, and LCS groups.
• Perform seamanship and navigation evolutions such as: formation steaming, precision navigation, precision anchoring, recover man overboard, handle small boats and off-board mission systems, launching and recovering small boats, maneuvering for torpedo evasion and for ASCM countermeasures employment.
• Perform deck evolutions such as: underway vertical and connected replenishment, recover man overboard, launch/recover off-board sensors and vehicles, handle small boats, tow orbe towed, and when necessary abandon ship.
• Provide a redundant and responsive ship control system that enables effective evasive maneuvering against torpedoes, ASCMs, mines and small boat attack.
• Support and conduct Search and Rescue (SAR) operations.

The LCS will conduct aviation operations with the following capabilities:

• Handling of organic, day/night, all weather manned rotary-wing and unmanned aviation assets to support the principal mission areas ofASW, MIW and SUW and operations such as, but not limited to SOF, SAR, CSAR, MTO, MEDEVAC, EW and logistics. Aviation operations will support the MH-60 family ofaircraft to include flight deck certification.
• The ships can carry out aircraft launch and recovery in conditions up to Sea State 5, i.e., in winds up to 27 knots and average wave heights between 6.4 feet and 9.6 feet.
• Class II facilities of NAEC-ENG-7576 to include electricity (400Hz), fresh water and fuel (landing, fueling, hangar, reconfigure, and rearm) for the MH-60 family of aircraft, and to conductjoint and interagency rotary wing capability (such as USCG helicopters, AH-58D AHIP or similar type helicopters), and employ and embark VTUAVs. LCS shall not have the capability to conduct Helicopter In-Flight Refueling (HIFR). It is envisioned that the LCS will embark MH-60 family of aircraft for limited durations. The material forrepairs and minimal organic maintenance to support these limited embarks should come onboard in a modular fashion and be tailored in size, and the air detachment should be optimally manned. Material support for MH-60 limited embarks shall not include Phased Maintenance.
• Control manned and unmanned aircraft, including the capability to provide safetyof- flight for the controlled aircraft.
• Aviation fire fighting capability should be automated to the maximum extent practicable.
• The program of record calls for three MQ-8B Fire Scouts to be stationed on LCS in place of one MH-60S helicopter. The MQ-8B will be deployed from the Littoral Combat Ship as a part of the anti-submarine and mine warfare mission modules.

The LCS was to have the capability to support day and night operations with available air, surface and subsurface unmanned vehicle operations. These capabilities will include control, data-link, day/night launch and recover, refuel, hangar, maintain, and rearm. The LCS operations will support Mission Packages containing VTUAVs, USVs and UUVs. The LCS will also be capable of rapidly reconfiguring Unmanned Vehicles and their mission payloads, while the ship is underway. The ship must be capable oflaunch, recovery and control ofmultiple unmanned vehicles, and should use common launch/recovery and control systems to the maximum extent practicable.

The LCS must be capable ofemploying manned and unmanned systems such as RMS, LMRS, 1 im RHIB, SPARTAN, AH-58D, MH-60R/S and Fire Scout VTUAV, in support ofmeeting the focused mission requirements.

The LCS shall have a core C4 system that will support mission and ship systems tactical and non-tactical operations, including the capability to fully integrate into FORCEnet. The C4 system will conform to the Navy's Open Architecture program guidelines and standards, will be interoperable with embarked Mission Packages and joint forces, and integrate all sensors, communication systems, and weapon systems into a single C2 system. The LCS will:

• Provide a total ship and LCS squadron command and control capability that provides automation ofcommand and control functions, ship situational awareness, and decision-making.
• Provide for the capability to simultaneously coordinate and control multiple manned and unmanned systems in support ofLCS missions.
• Fuse organic data and non-organic data to maintain integrated tactical picture.
• Implement a Total Ship Computing Environment (TSCE), which includes processors, networks, storage devices and human system interfaces in support of core and modular mission capabilities that conforms to the Navy's Open Architecture (OA) Program guidelines and standards.
• Provide multiple levels ofsecurity as required by mission systems.
• Provide external communications capability to control and operate with embarked and off-board systems, communicate with theater sensor assets, operate with joint, allied, coalition and interagency forces, and use reach-back assets. The ship was to have secure, reliable, automated, wide bandwidth, high data rate communications with ship based and shore based warfare component commanders.
• Be interoperable with standard Navy and Joint data networks including CEC, Joint Planning Network, Joint Data Network, Global Command and Control System - Maritime (GCCS-M), SIPRNET, NTPRNET and Global Information Grid.
• Provide for onboard processing and data storage capabilities to accommodate handling and use ofdata generated by off board sensors.