(Franco Iacch)
06/09/16

http://www.difesaonline.it/mondo-militare/us-navy-troppi-guasti-ed-errori-umani-flotta-littoral-combat-ship-messa-fuori

The Command of the Naval Forces of the United States Navy Surface has suspended all activities of the Littoral Combat Ship fleet. This is what it said in a statement issued a few hours ago by the U.S. Navy. The 'stand-down engineering' will involve all the crews of the LCS.

Over the next thirty days, a commission of the Surface Warfare Officer's School in Newport, examine the training program of the LCS crews, suggesting all the necessary implementations. Subsequently, every sailor aboard with engineering and technical role, will be subject to further training and retraining. Specialist training should be completed within 60 days. The Littoral Combat Ship fleet should sail again by the end of November.

It said in a statement from the chief of Naval Operations: "Some incidents were caused by staff, others by design and design flaws. All problems will be solved, and the whole program will be reviewed to identify systemic problems, as well as the magazine will be the upgrading and certification of all the sailors serving on LCS ".

Since last December to date, four LCS have suffered failures of different nature. The USS Freedom leader homonymous class, has suffered serious damage to the diesel engine. The internal investigation is still ongoing, but the entire apparatus main driving force must be replaced. Rumors would refer you human error finger. Currently it located in San Diego. Last December, the brand new Milwaukee, Freedom Class, it is literally off into the sea and was towed into port. The problem, cyclic, has been identified in the management software.

The Naval Sea Systems Command ensures that the corrections were made on the entire Freedom class. Last January, the USS Fort Worth, on active duty in Singapore, suffered severe damage to its propulsion system. He remained moored for seven months, only received August 22 last year ordered to return to San Diego for repairs. The incident, in the new report of the Navy, was caused by the engineers that they would not correctly apply the lubricating oil for the gears.

The USS Coronado, Class Independence, en route in the Pacific, was forced to return to Hawaii due to a disorder of the propulsive on 29 August. The Coronado has reported damage to one of his flexible joints: he returned to Pearl Harbor on Sunday. Since its maiden deployment after only two months.

Designed since the 90s and developed following the concept of modularity, the Littoral Combat Ship have tripled their cost initially estimated, reaching to touch the roof of the US $ 550 million in units (although there is already talk of $ 700,000 in boat with the new changes). What is considered as one of the major mistakes of the Pentagon on the matter LCS it was to have burned billion dollars in procuring the Littoral Combat Ship to two different manufacturers. A double and a totally different building strategy that has bled the defense budget. The two versions are made so diverse that were created separate staff training programs and assistance. Unique, probably, in the world scene. What's more, the Littoral Combat Ship structural problems were noted.

In several reports published by the Pentagon, it reflects the full capabilities of the Littoral Combat Ship. In three different reports, from 2011 to 2013, are critical indicators of different nature that have led to the same conclusion: "The USS Freedom, the first LCS built by Lockheed Martin, would not survive in a hostile combat environment."

Despite the precautions of the Navy, the Littoral Combat Ship is continued to experience problems with the materials used in load-bearing structures (is rusting too quickly) and the excessive vibration of the main cannons that made the aims unstable after the first salvo. also problems on integrated weapons systems and shortcomings on the performance of the hostile contact management. The LCS finally proved too light. An enemy, not in possession of the same technology, he might suffer double damage still represent a threat.

In 2013 the whole offensive system the ship was branded as highly unstable. The improvements were approved in December 2013, but in a new report in March of 2014 it emerged that "the changes would have added nothing to the current capacity for survival of the ship deemed unsatisfactory. The only effective solution would involve a new design or a fundamental change to the project. "

Nevertheless, the Littoral Combat Ship program continues. Future ships will be equipped with internal Kevlar armor, new weapons systems and avionics as well as some tricks to reduce the radar signature. It is noted that the multi-modular mission packages are still purely theoretical and that between 50 and 60% of the technologies implemented are not considered operational. The development of the LCS continues to be plagued by various problems that, in a few years, could be resolved at a price, however, much higher than expected. Future LCS, designed for small vessels, will be in effect the frigates. The project to be of small warships is considered officially closed.

(Photo: U.S. Navy - the USS Independence, in accordance with the USS Freedom in the foreground)

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IZAKOVIC