Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:42:25-3:43:36

A British or Canadian answer to the Freedom-class LCS

A Commonwealth LCS question asks whether dropping extreme speed would avoid the Freedom class's machinery problems.

Black Swan Sloop Concept (2012)Freedom Class Littoral Combat ShipsLittoral Combat ShipLive Q&AModern NavyModular WarshipsRoyal Canadian NavyRoyal Navy
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

What would a British or Canadian equivalent of the Freedom-class LCS look like, and would lower speed reduce its machinery problems?

Short answer

A slower Black Swan or StanFlex-like modular ship would likely be more practical because it avoids the LCS program's extreme requirements.

Notes

British Black Swan proposals explored a modular approach associated with StanFlex. They omitted some of the LCS program's more demanding requirements, probably because of cost. Dropping those requirements is judged likely to have produced a more practical ship, though the answer does not establish that a particular machinery fault would disappear. The Canadian case is less certain: no comparable contemporary design effort is identified, and either a similar British approach or an LCS purchase is considered possible.