Strengthening littoral combat ships for the future

Counterterrorism and global security expert James Feldkamp has cited the strengthening of littoral combat ships (LCSs) as one of the cornerstones of U.S. naval success in the next few years. He believes that with the proper research and purchasing, as well as efficient shipbuilding, the United States may be able to create more capable sea vessels at a lower cost.

Image source: Wikipedia.com

Image source: businessinsider.sg
For starters, James mentions the Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM) as a good fit for any LCS. The guidance system of this 900-pound anti-ship projectile has been developed to give it an over-the-horizon capability with a range of 115 nautical miles. The guidance system is state-of-the-art with GPS inertial and terrain reference systems that are more advanced than the U.S.’s own GM-84 Harpoon.

Equipped with the NSM, LCSs attacks would be much harder to prevent, as evidenced in war games. In the simulation, smaller ships were targets and enemies had to allocate more forces in defending these smaller ships, opening up other targets for easier pickings.

Ever since World War II, military forces all over the world have studied the advantages of putting weapons on smaller ships. The fact of the matter is, having a stronger, much more offensively capable LCSs means that in the event of a naval battle, opposing fleets could be attacked from different directions simultaneously and probably overwhelmed.

This is what James Feldkamp believes to be a very significant investment in terms of securing the place of the United States on the global stage.

James Feldkamp is a renowned trainer in the areas of global security on terrorism and counterterrorism. He is presently the Lead Consultant for Intelligence and Counterterrorism at Complete Threat Preparedness. He is also a sailing enthusiast, intending to join next year’s edition of the Clipper Round the World Race. Learn more about James by visiting this page.

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