High operating costs cloud the future of littoral combat ships, budget data reveals 1 hour ago
The Independence-variant littoral combat ship Coronado conducts operations with an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter on Nov. 1, 2018. (MC2 Chelsea Meiller/U.S. Navy) WASHINGTON As the U.S. Navy’s littoral combat ship program battles reliability problems, it is also wrestling another and potentially just as fearsome bear: operating costs. The service’s top officer said the original concept for a minimal crewing model where as few as 32 sailors and eight officers manned the ship, and much of the maintenance burden fell to contractors has driven up costs.