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Lockheed, Austal Answer Navy’s Call For LCS Improvements

The U.S. Navy got two responses in its quest to revamp its Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program.

Both Lockheed Martin Corp and Australia’s Austal submitted their ideas for a small warship that will be a part of the LCS program, according to Reuters.

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The need for a new design came after concerns from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel surfaced “about the survivability and firepower of the current LCS ships,” Reuters reported.

Lockheed’s proposal is as follows:

The proposal includes a variety of options for new surface-to-surface missiles, launchers, radar and other equipment – all priced under $700 million – that the Navy can choose to pursue all at once or phase in over the coming years, North said. Lockheed’s LCS ships now cost about $460 million each.

On the other side of the response it Austal:

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Austal said its response added “significant offensive and defensive capability” to itsaluminum trimaran design to support higher end missions, including a towed array sonar for anti-submarine warfare, torpedoes, surface-to-surface missiles and equipment to increase the ship’s radar detection range.

While no date for a decision has been set, according to Reuters, a task force must report on the options by July 31.

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