en-us http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/ Comments from LCS to Boost U.S. Presence in Disputed South China Sea http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992736490Another consideration is the number of senior petty officers in these LCS. A crew of about 50 and half of the being E-6 to E-9. Destroy a few of these and seriously deplete our senior PO manning, especially in the highly technical ratings. Not to mention the Pueblo incident. Sun, 30 Aug 2015 01:17:28 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992736490 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992515175Well, I guess thy have to earn their keep. Hope they have more offensive punch then advertised. Also will need defensive armament. The LCS's will sail close to PLAN airspace. There will be no need for the not ready ASW module, but the too heavy mine warfare module would be nice. At least they are fast and can get out of harms way. Are the fast enough to outrun a ASM? Can they out gun PLAN patrol craft. That is to be seen. Didn't the Panay have a 3"gun and a bunch of .5's.? But wait there s more! Just hold on for a few years and we'll send in the new improve LCS - Frigate. Longer, sleeker, still under armed, but with some armor plate. What a lash up and a stupid way to run a NAVY. Puke to the lee side shipmates. Fri, 28 Aug 2015 13:22:55 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992515175 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992365685The Sunda Straits are only 65 feet deep and even shallower on the Eastern side and difficult to navigate. The Lombok Strait is far deeper but also difficult to navigate due to the islands all along the strait. For that matter the Malacca Strait is only 82 feet and much of the oil shipping cannot navigate it either. It would appear that the shallow draft of the LCS's would certainly be a bonus for that area. The Celebes and Sulu Sea can't come into view until you have used on the aforementioned Straits in order to get there. That entire region in a conundrum. Thu, 27 Aug 2015 14:09:44 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992365685 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992365622LCS-Little Crappy Ships. Thu, 27 Aug 2015 14:09:18 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992365622 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992264052Good choice of vessels; carries as much firepower as the old "China Station" gunboats, like the U.S.S. Panay, did! Wed, 26 Aug 2015 22:41:34 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992264052 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992067068All the 1+ haul member's, are made in Marinette Wisconsin, like the one in picture, yet Marinette, is not talked about, why? And haven spent a good many month in the South China sea in the 1966 and 67 we have a right to be sailing the ocean blue. Thank you Tue, 25 Aug 2015 21:49:25 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment992067068 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991899506I suspect the reason the LCS continues in production is a matter of face (the Navy can't bear to admit what a mess the design became) and protection of the appropriations that pay for it. Put crudely, the Navy is far more frightened of losing the appropriation now then of losing ships tomorrow. Mon, 24 Aug 2015 17:40:23 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991899506 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991763507It's almost like the corporations that designed these vehicles wanted them to fail so they could move on to designing the next great Navy warship. A thinking person might even see a pattern here. Sun, 23 Aug 2015 17:15:10 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991763507 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991678636correction, they meant to say "It is fast, huge- bigger than a WWII destroyer, heavy but can't carry anything, and flexilble in the power point universe." Sun, 23 Aug 2015 00:30:35 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991678636 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991675364"“The LCS is ideally suited for a role in the South China Sea. It is fast, light and flexible and it has a fifteen foot draft so it can go places other vessels cannot go..." ======================================== Outstanding! The only problem with LCS - the so-called "Littoral Combat Ship" - is that it was never designed to carry weapons, or as Adm Greenert admitted in an interview with Breaking Defense, was "never intended to venture into the littorals to engage in combat...". The Chinese ships LCS will most likely run into *were*, and are heavily armed. Whoopsie! Sat, 22 Aug 2015 23:39:54 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991675364 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991669569There are alternate routes to Japan, Korea, and the Philippines via the Lombok and Sunda Straits in the Indonesian archipelago, and up through the Celebes and Sulu Sea. In any case there is no demonstrated threat to civilian freedom of navigation. The US really wants to promote freedom of its military navigation, probably related to China building a new submarine base on Hainan Island adjacent to SCS, but also in general. Sat, 22 Aug 2015 22:25:57 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991669569 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991658452So what is it that the LCS is going to do? Anti-piracy? It lacks the ability to protect itself except to a very minimal degree against naval and airborne threats. It cannot operate in a high threat environment except under the protective cover of an Arleigh Burke or Ticonderoga. It is not a warship, yet in the face of declining military budgets, we are planning to build 52 of them at a cost in excess of 20 billion dollars. Sat, 22 Aug 2015 20:57:20 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991658452 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991656233The Malacca Straits now leads the world in pirate assaults on shipping. A very fast hull that can travel in shallow water might make sense, deployed there. In the South China Sea? If anything, it's an indication that the Navy doesn't expect any fighting to happen, since these oh-so-expensive hulls have such limited abilities to defend themselves. Tmarks11 nailed it. Sat, 22 Aug 2015 20:02:29 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991656233 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991618687\"The LCS is ideally suited for a role in the South China Sea.... as a live fire target for the PLAN-Navy. More suited for the Somalia piracy patrol, but it is rather expensive, $650 million for one 57mm gun...... Sat, 22 Aug 2015 14:50:16 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991618687 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991593236What? Japan's, Korea's, Taiwans, and the Philipines cargo doesn't???? idgit Sat, 22 Aug 2015 09:40:20 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991593236 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991584876Near future headline: Chinese spot LCS as opposition and laugh their heads off. Sat, 22 Aug 2015 08:08:29 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991584876 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991563190All states have a duty to reach agreements with neighbours as to the extent of their territorial waters and EEZ. For some interesting ICJ judgments and legal opinions on territorial seas, Google: 'Falklands' Territorial Waters Academia/BritBob' Sat, 22 Aug 2015 03:54:30 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991563190 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991544699>“The LCS is ideally suited for a role in the South China Sea....it has a fifteen foot draft so it can go places other vessels cannot go" Taken a look at a chart of the South China Sea recently? Places that a boat with 15' draft can go where a boat with 34' draft can't go is all within a few miles of the coast... all places you are NOT going to want to take a warship. Well within internationally recognized territorial waters. Think China would object if we drove a LCS up to with 100 yards of the beach? Fri, 21 Aug 2015 23:49:26 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991544699 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991539059Image the look on the look of Admirals faces when once of these is immobilized by a Chinese speed boat with an HMG on it. Than think about how much of a Golden Parachute he will get when retires to get a board membership at one of the manufactures for these things. Fri, 21 Aug 2015 22:39:08 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991539059 http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991529927I think the US taxpayers should continue, at great cost, to defend freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, which mostly consists of cargo ships and tankers going to and from South China. (duh) This relieves China of the responsibility and encourages them to lend the US more money. /s Fri, 21 Aug 2015 20:55:16 +0000http://www.dodbuzz.com/2015/08/21/lcs-to-boost-u-s-presence-in-disputed-south-china-sea/#IDComment991529927