The problem with the US Navy LCS-class is...WHAT does it DO?

* It has no sonar, and thus has no torpedo tubes---it has no ASW outside of the HH-60R helicopter
* It has no anti-ship missiles or heavy missiles
* It has limited anti-air missiles (SeaRAM isn't really SAM, it's CIWS Anti-missile missile)
* It has no mine-sweeping equipment
* It's 57mm gun is proven not to be able to hole a steel-sided warship as a Canadian wargame exercise proved (and caught on film)
* The press says its 30mm autocannons in the ASuW mission package has been proven to be unstable when the ship moves at speed...it cannot lock and fire at 40kts.
* It has no ASW or AA module suites whatsoever
* It has no spy sensors or ECM suite
* It has no missiles that can reach beyond 5KM (those on the HH-60R don't count).

So, sure, there's harsh criticism at the LCS because so far it's been shown to sail with the USN flag and be helpful in chasing down Go-Fast drug boats in the Gulf.  Other than that, it assumes the role of the USCG NSC and is thus armed as such.  It's a ship, yes, new hull, but basically WHAT does it DO?  Shrug, it's a light fast gunboat, basically.  Sure, it's better armed than an Avenger-class minesweeper, but no one has called the LCS a minesweeper yet.

The ship was never designed to have any of the above.  It was designed to repalce teh avenger class minesweeper and teh Perry Class frigate. Both of those ship are light armed, yet neither one has been lost in combat.  So I am confident the LCS is a good replacement.

David

Look up the capability of a Perry class frigate.  It had an air defense missile system, a capability to fire Harpoon missiles, a larger gun, torpedo tubes as well as a helicopter capability.  It had a significant ASW sensor suite.  The LCS has none of these except the helicopter.  So to argue that the LCS was intended to replace the Perry class frigate, given the list of deficiencies that Peter noted, is to say that the Navy has traded something for virtually nothing. As far as mine sweeping, the current LCS does not have a capability - it, like the other modules is only forthcoming.  There are 13 mine countermeasures ships listed in the fleet.  They can actually sweep mines.  To argue that we needed 52 LCSs for mine countermeasures seems to be a misplaced sense of priorities.

As for Greenert's argument that classes of surface combatants have  evolved and added capabilities over that evolution is true. However, the critical difference is that a Flight 0 Arleigh Burke destroyer, while not having a flight deck, had a capable air defense system, long range anti-ship missile system, CIWS, a ASW sensor suite and a Tomahawk launching capability.  It was a flexible, lethal vessel that only added more capability as it evolved.  In contrast, the LCS can do almost nothing except chase drug runners, pirates and purportedly defend against swarms of small high speed lightly armed    attackers - clearing out Iranian Guard speedboats in the Straits of Hormuz has been mentioned as a unique capability.  If that is all that the LCS can do as currently configured, then we have spent a great deal of money to buy a very limited mission set. 

Just admit it, the LCS project was intended to start a war.  52 shoot me signs spread all across the world for optimal effect.  I mean seriously a bunch of speed boats in the Straits of Hormuz would be the least of your worries.  Gail and artillery batteries and shoulder fired anti ship weapons are all over that coast...