The LCS consists of two separate acquisition programs: one for the seaframe and one for the mission packages, which, when integrated with the seaframe and supplemented with aviation support, provide the ship’s mission capability. In order to demonstrate LCS mission capability both seaframe variants will be evaluated through developmental and operational testing. Developmental testing is intended to assist in identifying system performance, capabilities, limitations, and safety issues to help reduce design and programmatic risks. Operational testing is intended to assess a weapon system’s capability in a realistic environment when maintained and operated by warfighters, subjected to routine wear-and-tear, and employed in combat conditions. The Navy is procuring two different seaframe designs from shipbuilding teams led by Lockheed Martin—which builds its ships at Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisconsin—and Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama. This report refers to the Lockheed Martin ships as the Freedom variant and the Austal USA ships as the Independence variant. The two designs reflect different contractor solutions to meet the same set of performance requirements. The most notable difference is that the Lockheed Martin Freedom variant (LCS 1 and other odd-numbered seaframes, 3 through 23) is a monohull design with a steel hull and aluminum superstructure, while the Austal USA Independence variant (LCS 2 and other even- numbered seaframes, 4 through 24) is an aluminum trimaran.shows the first two LCS seaframes. See table 1 for the current status of seaframe construction. As we previously reported, the Navy is investigating potentially significant design changes to the ships while production is under way. Some of these initiatives include: Changes to improve habitability: Part of the LCS concept is to reduce the number of crew on the ship by relying extensively on shore-based support for the ship’s administrative personnel and maintenance needs. Prior to the deployment of LCS 1 to Singapore, the Navy added 20 extra beds—called berths—to the ship to accommodate extra people, and has also made a similar change to LCS 2 and subsequent ships. However, the Navy did not add equivalent amounts of crew storage space, additional water and sanitation systems, and food storage, and while the Navy officials stated that the ships still meet requirements, the Navy is investigating changes to better meet Navy standards. The Navy and the shipyards are now evaluating how to make these changes to both variant designs, but the effects have been described by the program office as pervasive throughout much of the ship. Changes to increase commonality: many of the systems on the two seaframe variants are not common; commonality can enhance efficient maintenance, training, manning, and logistics. The Navy is investigating making changes to improve commonality between the two variants, including selecting a common combat management system—an architecture that uses computers to integrate sensors (such as a radar) with shipboard weapon systems—for both seaframes. Changes to improve safety: the Independence variant was designed without bridge wings, which are enclosed areas that extend out to the sides of the ship from the bridge to provide enhanced visibility and safety for the crew for maneuvers like docking the ship. The Navy has added bridge wings to LCS 2, and now plans to add bridge wings to all the ships of this variant. As part of the decision to make any design changes to a ship, the designer needs to consider the effect that the changes might have on ship weight. Weight is a critical aspect of a ship design, and is measured in several ways: Light ship condition: The ship is complete and ready for service, repair parts are held onboard, and liquids in machinery are at operating levels. Light ship condition does not include items of variable load, such as officers and crew; ammunition; aircraft and vehicles that are fully fueled with repair parts available; full supply of provisions and stores; and full tanks for potable water, lube oil, and fuel. For LCS, the light ship condition does not include installation of a mission package. Full load condition: Light ship condition plus variable loads. For LCS, full load condition includes an installed mission package and is the condition against which performance requirements are assessed. Naval architectural limit: The maximum weight that a ship can displace while still meeting its stability and survivability requirements. For LCS, naval architectural limits are unique to each seaframe variant. To ensure that ships meet required capabilities, the Navy and its shipbuilders typically engage in intensive estimating, weighing, and reporting processes throughout construction to identify and monitor a ship’s weight and stability. As part of these processes, shipbuilders actively estimate and track certain information, including the following: Builder’s margin, which consists of weight and vertical center of gravity allowances included in a weight estimate to cover slight variations of component weight and centers of gravity that take place throughout the design and construction of a ship. Service life allowances, which refer to weight and vertical center of gravity budgets included in a ship’s design to accommodate changes due to ship alterations and unplanned growth during the ship’s operational lifetime, which tend to increase displacement and affect stability. Weights are definitively determined as part of a ship’s inclining experiment, which involves moving known weights around the ship and measuring how they change the ship’s equilibrium. This allows for the Navy to determine a ship’s displacement and the height and longitudinal position of its center of gravity. For most ships, inclining experiments take place immediately prior to delivery and after significant post-delivery maintenance periods, when necessary. The LCS mission package designs are based on standard shipping containers that are outfitted with a variety of unmanned systems, sensors, and weapons that can be loaded onto and off of the seaframe. Mission packages are also accompanied by an aviation detachment, consisting of an MH-60 helicopter and its flight and support crew, as well as vertical take-off unmanned aerial vehicles. These packages are intended to give the Navy flexibility to change equipment in the field to meet different mission needs and incorporate new technology to address emerging threats. The Navy plans on fielding one anti-submarine warfare (ASW) increment and four mine countermeasures (MCM) and surface warfare (SUW) increments. The Navy will upgrade all mission packages to the same configuration as additional increments are fielded. The Navy plans to buy a total of 64 mission packages—though this quantity could change if the number of seaframes acquired is reduced. See table 2 for a brief discussion of the mission packages. To obtain operational experience with LCS, the Navy last year deployed USS Freedom carrying an increment 2 SUW mission package. The ship departed San Diego, California, for operations in the Western Pacific under the command of the Navy’s 7th Fleet in early March 2013. The ship was deployed for approximately 10 months, returning to the United States in late December 2013. The 7th Fleet area of responsibility poses unique challenges to the Navy given the vast distances it covers. While on this deployment, USS Freedom participated in an international exhibition as well as several multilateral naval exercises with regional navies, including Singapore; Malaysia; Brunei; and Indonesia. The ship also conducted some real-world operations as directed by the 7th Fleet, such as participating in humanitarian assistance disaster relief to the Philippines following a major typhoon. See figure 2 for a map showing the location of the Singapore deployment and the Navy fleet areas of responsibility in the Indo-Pacific region. Since July 2013, the Navy has made progress demonstrating and testing various facets of LCS systems and capability but significant gaps remain in the Navy’s knowledge of how the LCS will operate and what capabilities it will provide the Navy. The deployment to Singapore provided the Navy with an opportunity to examine key LCS concepts operationally, including: the ship’s smaller manning profile, rotational crewing, and use of off-ship maintenance and support. The deployment was limited because only one of the two variants carrying one mission package was deployed, and mechanical problems prevented USS Freedom from spending as much time as planned underway—that is, at sea unanchored and not at port. As a result, some key concepts could not be demonstrated. While the deployment provided useful insight for the Navy, it was never intended to be a substitute for formal testing and evaluation activities. The Navy has also completed additional developmental testing on the seaframes and mission packages, which has enabled the Navy to characterize performance of some systems, but many capabilities have not been demonstrated in an operational environment. Navy officials have stated that they were able to learn some valuable lessons from the deployment of USS Freedom to Singapore, and the Navy has taken several steps to analyze post-deployment lessons learned. According to the Navy, the deployment demonstrated the LCS’s ability to participate in cooperative exercises and helped carry out the Navy’s forward presence mission in Asia, thereby freeing up more costly multi-mission warships to carry out other high-priority Navy duties. Navy officials also said USS Freedom demonstrated how a LCS can fill the need for a smaller U.S. ship that can dock in more foreign ports than larger U.S. vessels, which they believe will be a valuable tool for engaging with certain countries that might otherwise be hard to access. Further, USS Freedom’s SUW mission package crew was able to conduct some launch and recovery operations with Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats and to participate in boarding exercises, which provided lessons about the operations of these boats as well as the systems on USS Freedom needed to launch and recover them. These operations, although undoubtedly useful for the Navy, were never intended as formal testing and evaluation activities—or to replace them. Therefore, key unknowns remain regarding how the Navy will eventually be able to use the LCS and how well the ship meets its performance requirements. USS Freedom’s deployment to Singapore represented an opportunity for the Navy to gain insight into the feasibility of the LCS’s unique operational concepts.