Shipbucket

You wouldn't and shouldn't. But when you don't the final product should not cost the same as platform that did.
Its bang for your buck. You can have less bang, but I better get it for less bucks.

It's hard to compare shipbuilding costs across different countries but the LCS is about as expensive as some far more capable allied frigates and that's BEFORE the cost of the modules. Which, BTW, do not work as advertised outside the surface module and require billions more in development.

you also have to think about cost. keeping OHP still running will be more costly every year. than have a new ship that is easier to service.


We had that problem in Norway, the Old Oslo class was in service for 41 years, something that is 20 years to much. when they hit there 20's they was already expensive to operate and service (and there top speed was reduced from it's top speed of 38 knots down to 30 knots!), and when they hit there 30's they had there boilers and parts of it's turbines rebuild every half year (and the top speed was reduced again down from 30 knots down to 25 knots). when they hit the 40 mark, they had the boilers and parts of the turbine partially rebuild every month and a total rebuild of the entire engine every year.

The OHP can replace it's gas turbine, but every thing else.... even the hull will need more attention. Many old ships have to come in to shipyards for getting there hull scanned, just to make sure it haven't cracked yet!

If the USN decided to scrap the whole LCS/SSC program and decided to buy "off-the-shelf" what design do you believe they should pick as a baseline for a Perry replacement?
Discounting all the politics and the "not designed here" mentality.

I do not have a preference yet. But I think I'll start with Spain's follow-up of the Santa Maria class.

That's a hard one, there are so many out there to chose from. we have those French and Italian frigates, we have the upcoming British frigate's. But if we look at ships that already are designed with US equipment as standard we have the two biggest on the list (European):

- Álvaro de Bazán-class
fairly new design, with almost off-the-shelf equipment from USA. it have a good punch in the AAW department for it's size and it is even using similar helicopter as USA.

if US had to go for something similar... it would be an updated version, something like the Hobart-class.

- Something based on one of US new coast guard cutters.


- Fridtjof Nansen-class

build with almost only US equipment, but also Norwegian equipment that US are using. but the hull need perhaps an redesign to fit US speed requirement. sea capability should be good, heck it operate in the North sea in frozen condition and can handle over 300 tons of ice on deck and still be operational. I have seen version of the FN-class frigate with an semi upgraded radar systems like an bland of conventicle radar systems and Spy-3.

With FN-class they get a ship that are operating from far North in temperature down to -50 degrees C and heavy weather. to south patrolling Somalia in +40 degrees C.

Then we have those Japanese and Korean build/planed/concept's

And there is many more... for off-the shelf, a bland of Álvaro de Bazán-class and the clean surface's of Fridtjof Nansen-class would be an good design. But then you have that US must be build in US. will a Spanish shipyard say yes to sell it's design program to USA...


A couple of Norwegian shipyard that worked together her in Norway during the Frigate project in Norway, made an concept of an totally clean ship with big internal space using advance radars, with space for two helicopter and off-the shelf equipment. that company would be willing to sell it's finish designed frigate concept to USA, earning back some money they lost when they didn't get the task of building new Norwegian frigate back then.


But then it's all just politics...

The allied frigate that matches the LCS acquisition requirements almost exactly and is in the cost range we wanted is the Absalon-class. I would prefer we abandon the stupid and useless flex deck requirement (for vehicles, reconfigurable spaces are fine) altogether but if it must stay this ship did it right.

There really isn't anyone in the fleet I talk to who doesn't feel the same way. Unless you talk to those in the LCS pipeline, but they are paid to think that way

Its also worth noting that the LCS wasn't really supposed to be a frigate, but rather more of a corvette in size and capability (no AAW outside point defense). The LCS really isn't a replacement for the OHPs but rather a replacement for the nonexistent platform that we shoehorned the OHPs to fill in for because we had them laying around. The OHPs need a real replacement, basically an AAW frigate that drops the expensive Strike/NGFS requirement and uses a sensor suite not dedicated to expensive SPY but rather focused solely on optimization for medium range ASM defense.

Agreed. As much as I hate for Mobile, AL, the concept needs to be reworked