April 3, 200818 yr From Navy Times Navy requests more Littoral Combat Ships By David Sharp - The Associated Press Posted : Wednesday Apr 2, 2008 18:33:47 EDT PORTLAND, Maine — The Navy is moving forward with construction of a new type of smaller, speedy warships, putting the project back on track after the cancellation of two ships last year, officials said Wednesday. The Navy’s formal request for proposals issued on Tuesday to General Dynamics’ Bath Iron Works and Lockheed Martin calls for construction of three Littoral Combat Ships to be carried out over the next several years. The Navy envisions a competition in which the winning bidder is awarded contracts for two of the ships while the other gets to build just one ship, Navy Lt. Cmdr. John Schofield said Wednesday. Two competing versions of the ship are under construction at shipyards in Wisconsin and Alabama. But the Navy put the brakes on the program last year, canceling two additional ships, after costs of the original ships grew from early estimates of about $220 million to more than $300 million apiece. The Navy now is operating under a congressional cost cap of $460 million per ship, a reflection that the original cost estimates for the ships were too low. The Navy, which hopes to build 55 Littoral Combat Ships, envisions smaller warships capable of operating in nearshore waters to meet threats including modern-day pirates and terrorists. The ships are a key element of the Navy’s goal of a 313-ship fleet. Lockheed Martin’s LCS-1 is being built at Wisconsin’s Marinette Marine Corp., while General Dynamic’s LCS-2 is being built at Alabama’s Austal USA shipyard in Mobile. Lockheed Martin’s version resembles a traditional frigate or destroyer but features a sleek, semi-planing hull, while General Dynamic’s version is an all-aluminum three-hulled vessel. Both are powered by steerable waterjets and can reach speeds of about 50 mph.
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