Absolutely sell or even give them away to an allied/partner navy. Perhaps to the Philippines for use in the South China Sea, or Mexico and Columbia to interdict drug smugglers.
Absolutely sell or even give them away to an allied/partner navy. Perhaps to the Philippines for use in the South China Sea, or Mexico and Columbia to interdict drug smugglers.
I think Andrew is right. Give them away with the caveat "As-Is", "No Returns". Then you are rid of them like a gangrenous big toe. Alternatively these LCS's could be towed pierside to NYC, Boston, Philly, Baltimore and even up the Potomac to be operated by the local government as homeless and immigrant shelters, floating jails or for future 2024 COVID variant treatment centers.
Yeah, my bad. I wiggled out of going to the mandatory CWO/LDO Knife & Fork School and was only 4 days at OCS previously before I VDE-ed. Sometimes my skirt shows. :(
Well, they could also be used to take the entire House Armed Services committee water skiing (all at the same time) and then have a nice cookout on the flight deck.
I can't escape this horrible feeling that somehow, the Saudi LCS variant is going to work relatively well, unlike the dumpster fires we've been dealing with.
Well they are still functional to a degree, just not suitable for the pivot to peer level combat in the western Pacific. So they could provide service to a minor navy not likely to have to dice it up with the big boys. Hence my comment that they are well suited to a policing function inshore.
Absolutely sell or even give them away to an allied/partner navy. Perhaps to the Philippines for use in the South China Sea, or Mexico and Columbia to interdict drug smugglers.
If they are too expensive for us to operate and maintain, would anybody really want them?
I think Andrew is right. Give them away with the caveat "As-Is", "No Returns". Then you are rid of them like a gangrenous big toe. Alternatively these LCS's could be towed pierside to NYC, Boston, Philly, Baltimore and even up the Potomac to be operated by the local government as homeless and immigrant shelters, floating jails or for future 2024 COVID variant treatment centers.
I think their highest and best use is fish habitat.
Or maybe make the Academy use them as intended with minimal crewing for their summer cruises. They can go do drug interdiction with a USCG det.
But you mean to have them converted to oared galleys first, right?
No, it's not enlisted duty. ;)
Yeah, my bad. I wiggled out of going to the mandatory CWO/LDO Knife & Fork School and was only 4 days at OCS previously before I VDE-ed. Sometimes my skirt shows. :(
LOLOL
Well, they could also be used to take the entire House Armed Services committee water skiing (all at the same time) and then have a nice cookout on the flight deck.
Saudi Arabia
I can't escape this horrible feeling that somehow, the Saudi LCS variant is going to work relatively well, unlike the dumpster fires we've been dealing with.
They will care less about range and seem to have increased manning. Guessing it will end up a bit too heavy though and even slower than advertised.
They won't escape the giant leach that will be the ever present, always required, contractor tail though.
And their Operational environment can (somewhat) tolerate the 80% pierside schedule.
Why would we want people, that are supposedly our allies, to be loaded down with something we ourselves rejected?
Well they are still functional to a degree, just not suitable for the pivot to peer level combat in the western Pacific. So they could provide service to a minor navy not likely to have to dice it up with the big boys. Hence my comment that they are well suited to a policing function inshore.
My understanding is some of them have been maintenance nightmare.
That is an understatement! Rube Goldberg propulsion train to begin with.