US Navy no longer wants to upgrade and repair the first four Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) due to high cost. The ships were built for experimenting and testing according to the Navy. They’re no longer worth a deeper financial investment, according to Rear Adm. Randy Crites, the deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for the budget. “They’re not configured like the other LCS in the fleet, and they need significant upgrades. Everything from combat [systems], to structural, you name it. They’re expensive to upgrade.” Crites told reporters during the Feb. 10 budget rollout.
The plan would retire the first two ships from the Freedom-class — USS Freedom and Fort Worth — commissioned in 2008 and 2012, respectively. USS Independence was commissioned in 2010 and the USS Coronado was just commissioned in 2014, making it brand-new in the world of naval lifespans.
