US Senate threatens LCS plans

Acquisition plans for the U.S. Navy?s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program could fall one year and two ships behind if the Senate Appropriations Committee?s recommendations are passed by the full Congress.

The committee recommended halving the Navy?s request for two LCS ships in 2007, citing Congressional Research Service (CRS) estimates that the actual cost to buy each ship will be higher than the service?s $220 million estimate. The committee also wants to take back one of three LCS ships approved last year.

The two ships requested in the 2007 Pentagon budget represent the fifth and sixth units of the LCS type. The first ship was approved in 2005; three were added in 2006. The Navy plans to build a total of 55 ships under the LCS program, which aims to produce small and relatively inexpensive warships with modular weapon systems.

The service requested $520.7 million for two ships in 2007 at $260 million apiece, according to the committee report that accompanied the defence appropriations bill when it was sent to the full Senate on July 20. But CRS?s Ron O?Rourke says that Navy budget data supplied along with the 2007 request shows that each ship will actually cost about $300 million.

Navy officials have said that the increase is a result of program management costs, allowances for changes, inflation and initial operating costs. The Committee is troubled by this revelation and recommends rescinding the insufficient fiscal year 2006 funds currently allocated to the fourth LCS vessel. “Cost growth and design changes are jeopardizing the affordability appeal of LCS,” the committee report said.