Article Posted on : - Sep 16, 2010

A US Navy photo.

WASHINGTON (BNS): Lockheed Martin on Tuesday submitted its final revised proposal for the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) programme.

The proposal was submitted to build 10 Littoral Combat Ships in the fiscal 2010-2014 as well as provide combat systems for five additional ships.

“The Lockheed Martin team is providing a low-risk, affordable LCS option that will meet the US Navy’s needs for years to come,” said Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO Bob Stevens.

The company has already built the first LCS, USS Freedom, for the Navy while the construction work for LCS 3, USS Fort Worth, is presently continuing.

Another contender for the LCS programme, Austal USA, has already submitted its revised offer to the US Navy to build the warships. The company has already built LCS 2, USS Independence, and has been awarded another contact to build LCS 4, USS Coronado, in partnership with General Dynamics.

The US Navy intends to procure a total of 55 Littoral Combat Ships for multi-mission support. The LCS is envisioned to be a versatile, networked, agile, surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals.