Navy Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program: Background, Issues, and Options for Congress

The Littoral Combat Ship LCS is a relatively inexpensive Navy surface combatant that is to be equipped with modular plug-and-fight mission packages. The basic version of the LCS, without any mission packages, is referred to as the LCS sea frame. The Navy wants to procure a total of 55 LCSs. There are currently two LCS designs - one designed and produced by an industry team led by Lockheed, and one designed and produced by an industry team led by General Dynamics. The first ship in the program - LCS-1, funded in FY2005 and built to the Lockheed design - was commissioned into service on November 8, 2008. The second ship in the program - LCS-2, funded in FY2006 and built to the General Dynamics design - is to be delivered to the Navy later this year. LCS-3 being built to the Lockheed design and LCS-4 being built to the General Dynamics design were funded in FY2009 at a combined cost of 1,020 million and are under construction. The Navys proposed FY2010 budget, submitted in May 2009, requested 1,380 million for the procurement of three more LCSsan average of 460 million per ship, which is the unit procurement cost cap for LCSs procured in FY2010 and subsequent years.