Littoral Combat Ship

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program is a major line item in the Department of the Navy's Shipbuilding and Conversion budget, specifically under Budget Activity 02: Other Warships. The primary goal of the LCS program is to provide the U.S. Navy with a class of small, fast, and highly maneuverable surface combatants optimized for operations in littoral, or near-shore, environments. The program supports the design, construction, integration, and testing of these ships, including the installation of ordnance, government furnished equipment, and the management of plans and change order costs. The LCS is intended to complement the Navy's larger, multi-mission surface fleet by operating in areas where deeper-draft ships are less effective or cannot be employed.

The LCS program's objectives center on delivering ships capable of deploying focused-mission packages for surface warfare (SUW) and mine countermeasures (MCM). These mission packages allow the LCS to adapt to specific operational requirements, such as maritime interdiction/interception operations, mine hunting, and mine sweeping. The ships also possess inherent capabilities regardless of the mission package installed, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), anti-terrorism/force protection (AT/FP), air warfare self-defense, joint littoral mobility, and logistical support for personnel and supplies. This flexibility is designed to enhance the Navy's ability to respond to a wide range of threats and operational scenarios in coastal regions.

Within the FY 2026 budget request, the LCS line item does not include procurement of new ships, but rather focuses on economic price adjustments and completion costs for previously awarded ships, specifically LCS 31, LCS 36, and LCS 38. The request includes funding to finance additional economic price adjustments for these ships, reflecting the need to account for inflation and other cost factors that have arisen since their initial contract awards. This funding ensures that the Navy can meet its contractual obligations and deliver the ships as planned, maintaining the integrity of the shipbuilding schedule.

The production status and schedule for LCS 31 and LCS 38 are detailed in the budget justification. LCS 38, built by Austal, was awarded in December 2018, with delivery scheduled for July 2025. LCS 31, built by Lockheed Martin, was awarded in January 2019, with delivery planned for September 2025. Both ships are expected to complete fitting out and post-delivery activities by early to mid-2026. The design and construction timelines reflect the complexity of integrating advanced technologies and mission systems into these vessels, as well as the need for rigorous testing and certification prior to operational deployment.

The cost breakdown for the LCS program includes expenditures for basic construction, electronics, hull, mechanical and electrical systems, ordnance, and other associated costs. Budgets for previous years have addressed completion costs and inflation adjustments. The investment required to deliver these advanced surface combatants to the fleet reflects the significant resources allocated to the program.

From an operational perspective, the LCS is designed to operate independently or as part of larger naval formations, such as Carrier Strike Groups or Surface Action Groups. The ships can also be forward-deployed or operate in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard and allied navies, enhancing joint and coalition maritime operations. The modular design of the LCS enables rapid reconfiguration for different missions, supporting the Navy's strategic objective of maintaining a versatile and responsive surface force capable of addressing evolving security challenges in littoral regions.