The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan
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Dirty Little Secrets
Russia's LCS Eater
by James Dunnigan
May 12, 2006
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
Noting the progress of the American LCS
(Littoral Combat Ship), Russia is pitching its new Project 20380
corvettes to countries than cannot (for security or financial reasons)
get LCS ships. For example, the United States is reluctant to sell LCS
to Saudi Arabia, for fear that key technology might be passed along to
potential enemies (like China). The Russian ship is about a third
smaller (at 2,100 tons displacement) than the LCS, but costs less than
half as much (about $125 million each). While not as flexible as the
LCS, the Project 20380 has impressive armament (two 30mm anti-missile
cannon, one 100mm cannon, eight anti-ship missiles, six anti-submarine
missiles, two eight cell anti-missile missile launchers). There is a
helicopter platform, but the ship is not designed to carry one
regularly. Crew size, of one hundred officers and sailors, is achieved
by a large degree of automation. The ship also carries air search and
navigation radars. It can cruise 6,500 kilometers on one load of fuel.
Normally, the ship would stay out 7-10 days at a time, unless it
received replenishment at sea. Like the LCS, the Russian ship is meant
for coastal operations.
Having
learned from past mistakes, the Russians are making this ship more
reliable and durable than past designs of the same size. Three of these
ships are under construction, with the first one being launched next
month. Russia plans to buy twenty or more. There's not a lot of
competition in this size category, and the Russians hope to lock up the
low end of the market, and eat the LCS's lunch in many markets.
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