The Navy unveiled the 3rd and final mission module for the LCS yesterday--the ASW module. While many details still need to be filled in (or perhaps won't be, because this kind of stuff tends to be more classified than others), my first impression is very positive.
Although the package accepted yesterday probably does not have everything to be included in the final module, here's what should be there when it's done:
1 MH-60R
1 Fire Scout Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
2 USV's
2 Remote Multimission Vehicles (semi-submersible)
The USVs will either have a sonar similar to a dipping sonar or a towed array. The RMMVs are meant to work in tandem with one using active sonar and the other listening for returns (bi-static). The UAV is a data relay that allows the USVs and RMMVs to operate beyond the horizon from the LCS mothership.
All in all, quite brilliant. It creates a web extending outward from the ship, without using expendible sonobouys (which can get expensive if you use a lot of them); and, it allows the use of active transmissions without giving away the location of the mothership. It's a quantum leap forward in ASW capability, both in terms of effectiveness and survivability.
Well, survivability against torpedoes anyways. I'd feel better about this thing if it had the ESSM and a few Harpoons, but apparently being able to blow up a speedboat is good enough these days.
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