LCS designated as Frigates reflects new doctrine

[macnz]

Mid December the pentagon announced their choice of design for their Small Surface Combatant (SSC) - modified versions of the existing Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). 

Read this Article for details of modifications:
www.defensenews.com/story/defense-news/blog/intercepts/2014/12/18/ship-navy-lcs/20589451/

In January it was announced these modified LCS will also be designated Frigates - given their augmented capabilities. The original 32 LCSs will eventually be upgraded and re-designated Frigates also.

Article:
www.defensenews.com/story/defense/naval/ships/2015/01/15/lcs-navy-frigate/21801559/

By endowing LCSs as Frigates, the traditional Frigate classification is now a blend of vessels in the USN line of battle.

Having declared the modfied LCS as the future SSC blueprint, traditionalists question the pentagon's belief that the incumbent Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate is adequately replaced by the new SSC profile as opposed to a more traditional vessel design like the Huntington Ingalls Industries Legend-Class Security Cutter.

[macnz]

Addendum:
The Surface Combatant Force Requirement Study does not define any need for a single mission ship such as the frigate and there are no frigates planned in the Navy's five-year shipbuilding plan. The lead ship of the class, USS OLIVER HAZARD PERRY (FFG 7), and the following ships have been decommissioned: FFG 8 through 16, 19-34, 36-40, 42, 43, 45-47, 49, 52, 54 and 57. The rest will be decommissioned by 2019.

Source:
www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=4200&tid=1300&ct=4

This confirms the USN has indeed redefined what constitutes a Frigate.

Here's a further article about their plans...

Read article here:
breakingdefense.com/2015/01/whats-in-a-name-making-the-lcs-frigate-reality/

[macnz]

...and further addendum

The new doctrine is "distributed lethality". Adding offensive capability to as many vessels in the fleet as possible ("anything that floats") to present as many threats as possible.

breakingdefense.com/2015/01/if-it-floats-it-fights-navy-seeks-distributed-lethality/