(U)LCS Mission Modules

Abstract

The FY 2019 funding request was reduced by $0.224 million to reflect the Department of Navy's effort to support the Office of Management and Budget directed reforms for Efficiency and Effectiveness that include a lean, accountable, more efficient government. This Program Element (PE) provides funds for detailed design, development, issue resolution, certification, integration, and testing of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mission Modules (MM). LCS is a fast, agile, and networked surface combatant with capabilities optimized to defeat asymmetric threats, and ensure naval and joint force access into contested littoral regions. It uses open-systems architecture design, modular weapons, sensor systems, and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to expand the battle space and project offensive power into the littoral. The LCS MM Program is utilizing an incremental development approach to deliver capability, which allows the continued insertion of mature capabilities throughout the life of the program without the need for modifications to the sea frames. Future capabilities will be considered when joint warfighting objectives or changing threats create new operational capability requirements that cannot be met by current mission package designs, or when new technological opportunities allow significant progress toward delivering cost effective, enhanced capabilities. Future mission module increments can be tested, constructed, and incorporated into existing mission packages, one of the most important benefits of LCS modular design. Beginning in FY 2019, Mission Package funding is realigned into four (4) projects: 2550 Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Mission Package 2551 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Mission Package 2552 Surface Warfare (SUW) Mission Package 3129 LCS Mission Package Development Prior to FY 2019 all Mission Package funding was in project 3129. MCM MP: Counters bottom, tethered, near surface, and surface mines in the littorals without putting sailors in the minefield. SUW MP: Increases firepower and offensive/defensive capabilities against large numbers of highly maneuverable, fast, small craft threats, giving LCS the ability to protect the sea lanes and move a force quickly through a choke point or other strategic waterway, and to conduct maritime security missions. ASW MP: Enables the LCS to conduct detect-to-engage operations against modern submarines that pose a threat. C5I: Once mission package specific RDT&E funding was split out from the LCS Mission Package Development project element 3129, the remaining funds provide the enabling products required by all MPs such as common hardware interfaces, computer operating environment (Mission Package Computing Environment (MPCE)), communications systems (Multi-Vehicle Communications System (MVCS)), aviation interface systems, and Mission Package Portable Control Stations (MPPCS). The MPCE provides common services and an Operating Environment to support all Mission Package Application Software and Open Architecture Products. The MVCS enables the simultaneous control and data exchange between unmanned mission vehicles and the Ship. Aviation interface systems include integration and management of data communications, data processing, and physical hardware interfaces such as common equipment and containers used by all mission packages. The MPPCS provides a mobile operating environment installed in a 20ft ISO container and serves as a surrogate Ship during mission package development and integration test events at test ranges.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2019
• Source ID: 0603596N_4_1319_PB_2019
• Change Summary Explanation: Beginning in FY 2019, Mission Package funding is realigned into four (4) projects: 2550 Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Mission Package 2551 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Mission Package 2552 Surface Warfare (SUW) Mission Package 3129 LCS Mission Package Development Prior to FY 2019 all mission package funding was in project 3129. The increase in FY 2019 addresses MCM shortfalls and supports stand up of the LCS MCM divisions to minimize service life extensions to both MCM-1 ships and the MH-53E Helicopters. Specifically, this increase funds the completion of MCM USV integration into the MCM MP to support formal developmental testing in FY 2019 / FY 2020, operational testing in FY 2020, and MCM MP Initial Operational Capability in FY 2021. Additionally, the increase in FY19 supports ASW mission package integration on Independence variant and initiation of the ASW ACB/TI process.
• Service Agency Name: Navy

Entities

Organizations

• United States Navy

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Autonomy
• Ground and Sea Platforms
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Aircrafts
• Anti-Tank Missiles
• Application Software
• Control Systems
• Human Systems Integration
• Littoral Combat Ships
• Navy
• Performance Tests
• Procurement
• Product Development
• Reliability
• Reliability Engineering
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
• Unmanned Surface Vehicles
• Unmanned Underwater Vehicles

Fields of Study

• Engineering

Readers

• Naval Mine Countermeasure Systems Development.

Technology Areas

• Autonomy
• Autonomy - UAVs
• Space