“The quotes (in the memo) suggest admirals are happy with the capacity LCS brings, which make sense since the Navy now has no ocean-going small combatants other than LCS, and precious few of those,” said Bryan Clark, a retired Navy commander now with the Center for Strategic & Budgetary assessments. (Cyclone-class patrol craft and Avenger-class minesweepers must hitch a ride across the ocean on a bigger ship). “LCS is now providing some capacity to sustain presence in the Western Pacific and will eventually help with new and useful ASW and MCM capabilities,” he said, “but recent experience with the Houthis indicates LCS would need to be defended, (because) the LCS’s small air defense capacity will make it vulnerable to missile attack from shore or ships.” That might require tying up an Aegis destroyer to watch over the smaller ships.
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