ASW with LCS? And....

Let me beat that drum a little harder - license build a EuroFrigate NOW!!! Do it while we still have time - time to keep the Fleet numbers treading water and have enough shipyards open.

A revolutionary project on PPT is just that - on PPT. An evolutionary project (see pre-WWII Cruiser development and the history of Carrier development as an example) results in ships pier-side and ships underway. Good officers have bought the line over this decade that LCS with all its toys will let them cover 10x more water than the old Spru-cans did - and do it better? ADS was to be one of the keys in doing this.

We have put all our eggs in that gilded crap-basket of an LCS - thanks to Sid, we have the proof much of the oversold ASW capability increase portion has gone poof. With ADS gone we now have, well, an poorly configured, expensive, undermanned Corvette.

What is the Advanced Deployable System? Think of it as a deployable IUSS/SOSUS system in development for over a decade that has hitched its wagon to the LCS program to make a speedy Corvette an ASW machine...

"With ADS, the Joint Maritime Task Force Commander will have the capability to rapidly and flexibly extend the LCS watch area and gain a complete maritime picture," said Chuck Cantello, vice president for Sensors and Advanced Programs with Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors. "The execution of this option is a major milestone leading to full deployment of the ADS system."

ADS uses distributed passive acoustic bottom mounted arrays wirelessly linked to an analysis and reporting system to provide continuous acoustic coverage over large areas of the ocean. It is designed to detect and track modern diesel electric and nuclear submarines within the Joint Task Force Commander¿s battle space, as well as provide capability for tracking surface ships and detecting sea mine laying.

The ADS consists of four major subsystems: analysis and reporting system; sensor; tactical interface, and; installation support. This variant of the ADS will be designed to be embarked on the LCS and deployed from its deck.

If all options of the ADS contract are exercised, the cumulative value will be $243 million.

Well, nothing is being exercised. Now. Back in 06 they planned to kill the system - now the money is gone for good.

(U) A. MISSION DESCRIPTION AND BUDGET ITEM JUSTIFICATION:
The Advanced Deployable System (ADS), Project 1300, is a rapidly deployable, passive acoustic undersea surveillance system that will be deployed and monitored by a rental craft at a System Integration Test (SIT) in the first quarter of Fiscal year 2008. ADS is designed to detect, track and report modern diesel electric and nuclear submarines, as well as provide the capability to track surface ships and potentially detect mine-laying activities. ADS consists of three subsystems coordinated by the Prime Contractor who develops the Prime Mission Product (PMP) and who acts as the system integrator for all subcontract activities:
- The String, which incorporates the Sensor Subsystem (SS) and the Tactical Interface Subsystem (TIS). SS consists of four acoustic arrays, small diameter fiber optic (SDFO) cable which connects the arrays, and a pressure vessel (PV). The PV contains a battery power supply, electronics, and lasers. The lasers serve to optically telemeter the hydrophone data to the in-water TIS via SDFO cable. The TIS consists of a self-powered buoy, housing computers (to partially process and compress the SS data stream), a radio and an antenna to transmit to the data to a supporting LCS.
- An Analysis and Reporting Subsystem (ARS) aboard the LCS, where the received information data stream is analyzed and target information is reported to the rental craft for monitoring and data collection.
- An Installation Support Subsystem (ISS) for rapid deployment of the SS and TIS by the LCS. Following SIT, the ADS program will be terminated as directed by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) in an Acquisition Decision Memorandum dated 5 October 2006.

So, what now is so Transformational about ASW and LCS? Unless ADS was just a cover for a much more classified project that is a magic bullet "war winner." Then that is just fine. I am sure that everything will just work perfect in wartime. Just perfect. Just like Shock-n-Awe.

Money talks - China builds - we rust pier-side. Admirals and SES (minus Dr. Etter) get promoted.

Heads, pikes. Some assembly required.