Littoral Combat Ship
US Navy shallow-water warship programme built by Lockheed Martin and Austal
The US Navy's 29 September 2026 split of 30 robot boats across three yards recalled the Littoral Combat Ship, whose 2010 dual block buy of 20 ships was followed by cost growth and early retirements.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026
Timeline for Littoral Combat Ship
Mentioned in: US Navy buys 30 robot boats from 3 yards
Autonomous Systems: Land & SeaBackground
The US Navy's split of 30 robot boats across three yards in September 2026 recalled the Littoral Combat Ship, whose first order was also divided between builders and then ran into cost growth. An even split does not guarantee that unit prices fall.
On 29 December 2010 the Navy gave Lockheed Martin and Austal USA fixed-price incentive contracts for ten-ship block buys each, 20 ships from fiscal 2010 to 2015. Full construction values were $3.62bn for Lockheed Martin and $3.52bn for Austal USA. The dual award reversed an earlier plan to choose one of the two designs.
In March 2022 the Navy's fiscal 2023 budget marked all nine Freedom-class ships then in service for early retirement. A faulty bearing in the combining gear had limited their speed to 34 knots, and the anti-submarine mission package had not been delivered. Navy officials called the Freedom-class spending a $4.5bn sunk cost.