I started working on this again...
Mostly on the sensors and comms. I went with off the shelf CEAPAR for a modest anti search and ESSM guidance option, and then took various flush comms and other sensors off the DDG1000 which should be mature by the time these hit the street. I leaned on some recent drawings by eric-t and LUET for inspiration and artistic style.
I am currently leaning towards deleting the requirement for a hull or bow mounted sonar. As far as I could tell when using them they were useless in the littorals anyway and it apprears the LCS is doing without, so I may just go with a robust tail option only along with the helos. This should save a lot of money, and will make room for more magazine space (FFGX) or battery space (FFLX) for the common hull and maybe a bow thruster.
This is the FFGX, still working...