LCS

Navy Budgeting $1.3B for First FFG(X) Hull; 9 Planned Over the Next Five Years

THE PENTAGON — The Navy is budgeting $1.3 billion in Fiscal Year 2020 to purchase its first-in-class guided-missile frigate and associated engineering costs as part of an aggressive push to buy nine FFG(X) hulls by FY 2024, according to a Tuesday Navy budget overview.

The service is set to award the final design and construction contract for the frigate program in 2020, with the delivery of the first ship estimated to occur six years later, according to a draft request for proposal issued last...

https://news.usni.org/2019/03/12/navy-budgeting-1-3b-first-ffgx-hull-9-planned-next-five-years

Littoral Combat Ship USS Charleston Commissions in South Carolina

Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer delivers his remarks during the commissioning ceremony of USS Charleston (LCS-18) on March 2, 2019. US Navy Photo

The Littoral Combat Ship USS Charleston (LCS-18) officially joined the fleet during a Saturday commissioning ceremony in downtown Charleston, S.C.

“USS Charleston is proof of what the teamwork of all of our people — civilian, contractor and military — can accomplish together,” Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer said in a statement. “This...

https://news.usni.org/2019/03/03/uss-charleston-join-fleet-saturday-morning

Navy Issues Draft RFP for FFG(X) Next-Generation Frigate

Artist’s rendering of the Austal USA FFG(X) bid from SNA 2019. Austal USA Image

The Navy has issued a draft request for proposal to design and build its planned class of 20 next-generation guided-missile frigates (FFG(X)).

Posted late Friday, the detailed design and construction RFP draft will serve as a practice run for shipbuilders to pitch their designs for the small surface combatants that are set to follow on the two classes of Littoral Combat Ships currently in production.

The document lays...

https://news.usni.org/2019/03/02/navy-issues-draft-rfp-ffgx-next-generation-frigate

Austal Expanding Involvement in LCS Program Through Maintenance Planning, Execution

The littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8) enters dry dock for Post Shakedown Availability (PSA) at San Diego Ship Repair on May 19, 2017. PSA is designed to harness results of a thorough test and evaluation period and pave the way to operational employment by the Navy. It is the last availability in the ship construction period and required repairs identified during combat systems ship qualifications trials and final contractor trials are made using contractor and program office money. US...

https://news.usni.org/2019/02/11/austal-expanding-involvement-in-lcs-program-through-maintenance-planning-execution

Vigor lands LCS drydocking contract

The littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4). Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jacob I. Allison
Vigor announced today that the Navy has awarded the shipyard a contract for the drydocking of the USS Coronado (LCS-4). Work will be performed at Vigor’s Portland, Ore., shipyard.
The award is the latest in a series in Vigor’s growing Navy repair program and is the shipyard’s first as prime contractor in the Littoral Combat Ship program. Other recent Vigor projects with the Navy include the execution of the Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) for the USS Kidd (DDG 100) at the Everett Naval...

https://www.workboat.com/news/shipbuilding/vigor-lands-lcs-drydocking-contract/

LCS Mission Package Office Focused On Test, Fielding; IOC Dates Continue to Slip

The future littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS 13) conducts acceptance trials, which are the last significant milestone before a ship is delivered to the Navy. US Navy photo.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Littoral Combat Ship mission package program office considers itself to be out of the technology development business and fully into testing and production, the program manager said last week.

All three of the LCS mission packages are in some form of testing this fiscal year and will hit various...

https://news.usni.org/2019/01/25/lcs-mission-package-office-focused-on-test-fielding-ioc-dates-continue-to-slip

Austal USA awarded $16 million post-delivery contract

The work will include engineering, management, and production services in support of prefabrication efforts, material procurement and execution of work items for the LCS 20 Extended Industrial Post Delivery Availability. Ken Hocke photo

The U.S. Navy awarded Austal USA a $16.3 million contract on Thursday, Jan. 24 to perform extended industrial post-delivery availability work at its Mobile, Ala., manufacturing facility — a first for Austal USA and the Navy.

Austal USA will perform post-delivery work on Littoral Combat Ship 20, the future Cincinnati (LCS 20) at its vessel completion yard along the Mobile River.

This work will include engineering, management, and production services in support of prefabrication efforts, material...

https://www.workboat.com/news/shipbuilding/austal-usa-awarded-16-million-post-delivery-contract/

Federal Agents Comb Through Austal USA Shipyard as Part of Apparent Financial Investigation

USS Tulsa (LCS-16) launched on March 15, 2017. Austal USA photo.

This post will be updated as additional information is available.

Federal agents visited Littoral Combat Ship manufacturer Austal USA in their Mobile, Ala. shipyard as part of an unspecified investigation involving the U.S. Navy, according to local media.

“Department of Defense, NCIS and [the Defense Criminal Investigative Service] have been seen on site,” according to NBC 15 in Mobile, Ala.
“Investigators are expected to be on site...

https://news.usni.org/2019/01/24/austal-usa-part-unknown-investigation-federal-agents-comb-shipyard

Navy Squeezing Costs Out of FFG(X) Program as Requirements Solidify

Artist’s rendering of the Austal USA FFG(X) bid from SNA 2019. Austal USA Image

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Navy says it may have squeezed out about $150 million per hull in savings as the service closes in on final requirements for a planned class of next-generation frigates (FFG(X)), program officials said last week.

After raising eyebrows in Congress last year with an upper-end cost of about $950 million per hull for the second ship and beyond, the Navy is now saying that figure could be closer to...

https://news.usni.org/2019/01/22/navy-squeezing-costs-ffgx-program-requirements-solidify

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