Cannibalized parts, systems that sailors can’t fix: LCS maintenance woes could get worse, watchdog warns
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A government watchdog report warns that the Navy's system for maintaining littoral combat ships could lead to even tougher challenges. (Navy)
When they first started filling the surface fleet’s ranks 13 years ago, the Navy’s littoral combat ships were billed as agile, efficient vessels capable of taking on a variety of missions.
Part of that efficiency involved small crews, which in turn required heavy reliance on contractors for even routine maintenance.
But such choices have led the embattled class to encounter maintenance challenges not seen elsewhere in the fleet, issues that could imperil the ability of such ships to get out of maintenance on time and therefore lessen the number of ships available for operations, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.