Navy Has Few Options If Littoral Combat Ship Falters

On November 1, 2001 — only weeks after the 9-11 attacks — the U.S. Navy proposed a new family of surface combatants.

There would be a new destroyer equipped with long-range guns for supporting Marines ashore, a new cruiser designed to greatly improve fleet defense against airborne and ballistic threats, and a fast “littoral combat ship” to perform demanding missions in the shallow water near coastlines.

Collectively, the proposed warships represented the most far-reaching transformation of the Navy’s fleet since the advent of nuclear power.

Read more