US Navy (USN) ships at Naval Station (NAVSTA) San Diego, California (CA) piers. Visible starting at the lower right going counter clockwise: USN Austin Class Amphibious Transport Dock ship USS DULUTH (LPD 6), USN Raleigh Class USS VANCOUVER (LPD 2), USN Whidbey Island Class Dock Landing Ship USS GERMANTOWN (LSD 42), USN Austin Class USS CLEVELAND (LPD 7), USN personnel barge, USN Vulcan Class Repair Ship USS AJAX (AR 6) [at the Mole Pier], USN Leahy Class Cruiser USS LALSEY (DLG/DG 23) [in Auxiliary Floating Dock Medium – Competent (ARDM-6)], USN Newport Class Tank Landing Ship USS PEORIA (LST 1183), and USN Newport Class USS FREDERICK (LST 1184).

In the event of a major conflict with China, the Pentagon plans on deploying its LCS-class ships in a new strategy aimed at containing and defeating Chinese ships in the Pacific as well as those of the Russian Navy in European waters.

An element of such a training includes re-equipming all LCS-class warships, known as “coastal warships“ to act as a floating battery of cruise missiles; they could also be used to transport and deliver small units of marines.

This is stated in the publication of the portal USNI News.

According to the authors of the portal, in the past two decades, the US Navy has relied heavily on “demonstrating a presence” in sensitive regions.

LCS-class ships are sufficiently seaworthy and have the same weapon levels as small patrol ships.

With Beijing & Moscow aggressively using their naval presence, the United States finds itself in the uncomfortable position of being out-numbered in terms of ships. Thus, it fell back to use LCS-class ships, as full-fledged combat units, despite chronic problems with power plants on such ships.

The US Navy could also use LCS-class ships as mobile platforms for fire support and for the purpose of landing small units of marines.

At this juncture, it is worth noting that the strategy of using LCS-class ships for naval warfare in very much aligned to the spirit of the current US naval strategy, in which the Marine Corps is “transferred” from Abrams tanks to NEMESIS unmanned anti-ship systems. The US Marines are now more focused on how to destroy the enemy at sea than on how to destroy the enemy on land.

If Washington goes ahead with its strategy of leveraging LCS ships for naval warfare, it will be able to solve problems not only of “strategic” nature but of the “technological”kind.

This essentially translates to the US military potentially constructing frigates of the MMSC project, which in turn are based on the project of the “coastal warship” LCS type USS Freedom.

According to an article in Defense Express, Lockheed Martin offered the Greek Navy such a ship earlier this year in May.

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