Foreign navies interested in LCS

The U.S. Navy said that foreign governments have expressed interest in buying into the new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program, creating the potential for the first foreign sale in 30 years of a U.S.-made military ship.

A US Navy spokesman said there’s interest in both the General Dynamics Corp. (GD) and Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) versions of the new ship, designed to chase down enemy forces in coastal waters. The ships cost about $220 million each and are currently in testing and under construction. Names of specific countries were not disclosed, but there were two near-term contenders, along with four or five others that have expressed active interest and up to 26 potential buyers worldwide for the ship and its companion equipment. It is known that Israel, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines are countries that might be looking at the new ships.

If these sales materialize, it could lower the Navy’s cost and also boost U.S. shipbuilders.

The LCS is designed around mission modules that can change the ship from a minesweeper to a submarine hunter or special operations vessel. The Navy expects that new equipment packages will take shape once the vessels are in the fleet. Foreign governments may be less interested in an adaptable ship and, instead, may pick a few options for permanent installation.

The U.S. Navy also is expanding its inventory of river patrol boats. Contracts are expected soon on 10 new patrol boats for special operations forces, such as the river patrol unit due to deploy in Iraq next March. The Navy is purchasing eight “small unit riverine craft,” made by Safe Boats International LLC, along with two special operations boats made by United States Marine. Both types of boat cost around $1.5 million each, including communications equipment and other gear. They will augment boats already in the Navy and Marine Corps inventory.