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| Kongsberg NSM (Image: Flickr User - U.S. Pacific Fleet) |
By Franz-Stefan Gady
However, no decision on what new missile system to purchase has been made yet, according to a U.S. Navy admiral.
The United States Navy wants to equip its burgeoning fleet of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) with a new over-the-horizon missile by the end of 2016, the Navy’s surface warfare director, Rear Admiral Peter Fanta, told USNI News in a recent interview.
According to Fanta, equipping the LCSs with a new missile is “an absolute requirement” for the U.S. Navy. By the end of 2016 the admiral wants to have a new missile on the ships at least as a demonstration.
The U.S. Navy has rebranded the LCS as a frigate due to recent advances in effective counter-swarm defenses and is looking to increase the ships’ firepower. Naval engineers are currently studying what missile system would fit best on the LCS.
“It takes a little while for the guys with the slide rules to figure out… what the deck strength needs to be and what angle the launcher needs to sit at. That’s my biggest hold right now is guys doing math,” Fanta said.
Read the full story at The Diplomat