Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract for one Freedom class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS 31), the last of three LCS funded by the U.S. Navy in FY19. The other two ships were awarded to Austal in December. Austal builds the Independence class LCS. The Navy did not disclose the value of either contract due to the sensitive nature of the data during the competitive selection process. Lockheed Martin will complete work on this contract by February 2026.
USS Wichita (LCS 13) commissioning ceremony. Source: U.S. Navy
The company’s latest LCS to join the fleet, USS Wichita (LCS 13), was commissioned over the weekend.
Back in February 2018, the Navy requested funding for a single LCS in FY19, ahead of a planned transition to a more capable frigate in FY20. Congress was unhappy with the Navy’s plan to build a single ship in FY19, and added two ships to the final defense spending bill, allowing both shipbuilders to work on FY19 vessels.
In September 2018, the Navy awarded a contract for the three LCS funded in FY18. That contract also included one Freedom class ship and two Independence class ships.
Shaun's deep-rooted interest in military equipment continues in his role as a senior defense analyst with a focus on the United States. He played an integral role in the development of Forecast International's U.S. Defense Budget Forecast, an interactive online product that tracks Pentagon acquisition programs throughout the congressional budget process. As editor of International Military Markets – North America, Shaun has cultivated a deep understanding of the vast defense markets in the United States and Canada. He is a regular contributor to Forecast International's Defense & Security Monitor blog and has co-authored white papers on global defense spending and various military programs.
