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US Navy orders another LCS ship
WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - General Dynamics Corp won its second U.S. Navy contract for a shore-hugging Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), scheduled to be delivered in May 2012, the Defense Department said Friday. Intended to operate in coastal areas, the LCS ships are designed for mine detection and elimination; anti-submarine warfare; and combat against small surface craft.General Dynamics is in competition with Lockheed Martin to build more of the hulls, known as LCS. The Navy plans to buy as many as 55, including three more in fiscal 2010, which starts Oct. 1. Lockheed Martin received a contract to build its second LCS on March 23. The first General Dynamics-built LCS, also featuring a trimaran hull, is in the final stages of construction and testing in preparation for sea trials. The value of the contract was being withheld because it is "linked to the ongoing competition" for the three ships due to be built in 2010, said Lt. Cmdr. Victor Chen, a Navy spokesman. The deal followed long negotiations with the Navy over a fixed price for the ships. Congress has imposed a $460 million-per-ship cost cap on the LCS program, effective in the coming fiscal year. Posted by: Steve White 2009-05-04 |
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