Navy’s Fixes Won’t Much Help Littoral Ship, U.S. Tester Says

The upgrades to the Littoral Combat Ship approved by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel won’t make it significantly less vulnerable to battle damage, according to the Pentagon’s top weapons tester.

“Notwithstanding reductions to its susceptibility” compared with the design of the first 32 ships, “the minor modifications to the LCS will not yield a ship that is significantly more survivable,” Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon’s director of operational testing, said in an e-mailed statement.

Hagel approved a Navy proposal last month to buy 20 modified ships after 2019 with improved armor, sensors and weapons.

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