US Navy officials plan to use littoral combat ships for more operations as the Pentagon calls for more testing. (Michael Fabey)

US Navy (USN) officials say they are now gaining understanding of the operational flexibility of their littoral combat ship (LCS) fleet, even as the service plans to cut LCS anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, decommission several of the ships, and address testing needs recently identified by the Pentagon Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E).

“My hope is to make the best of all the remaining LCSs,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told reporters on 11 January, during the Surface Navy Association's (SNA's) annual symposium.

“I want to employ them as aggressively as we can and use them at every opportunity possible. That includes working with unmanned technology,” he said.

Speaking on 5 January at a media round table prior to the SNA symposium, Vice Admiral Roy Kitchener, USN commander, Naval Surface Force, and commander, Naval Surface Force, US Pacific Fleet, said, “We divested from the ASW mission, so we're really focused on SUW [surface warfare] mission package – and also the MCM [mine countermeasures] package.”

US Navy officials plan to use littoral combat ships for more operations as the Pentagon calls for more testing. (Michael Fabey)

US Navy (USN) officials say they are now gaining understanding of the operational flexibility of their littoral combat ship (LCS) fleet, even as the service plans to cut LCS anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, decommission several of the ships, and address testing needs recently identified by the Pentagon Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E).

“My hope is to make the best of all the remaining LCSs,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told reporters on 11 January, during the Surface Navy Association's (SNA's) annual symposium.

“I want to employ them as aggressively as we can and use them at every opportunity possible. That includes working with unmanned technology,” he said.

Speaking on 5 January at a media round table prior to the SNA symposium, Vice Admiral Roy Kitchener, USN commander, Naval Surface Force, and commander, Naval Surface Force, US Pacific Fleet, said, “We divested from the ASW mission, so we're really focused on SUW [surface warfare] mission package – and also the MCM [mine countermeasures] package.”

US Navy officials plan to use littoral combat ships for more operations as the Pentagon calls for more testing. (Michael Fabey)

US Navy (USN) officials say they are now gaining understanding of the operational flexibility of their littoral combat ship (LCS) fleet, even as the service plans to cut LCS anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, decommission several of the ships, and address testing needs recently identified by the Pentagon Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E).

“My hope is to make the best of all the remaining LCSs,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told reporters on 11 January, during the Surface Navy Association's (SNA's) annual symposium.

“I want to employ them as aggressively as we can and use them at every opportunity possible. That includes working with unmanned technology,” he said.

Speaking on 5 January at a media round table prior to the SNA symposium, Vice Admiral Roy Kitchener, USN commander, Naval Surface Force, and commander, Naval Surface Force, US Pacific Fleet, said, “We divested from the ASW mission, so we're really focused on SUW [surface warfare] mission package – and also the MCM [mine countermeasures] package.”

US Navy officials plan to use littoral combat ships for more operations as the Pentagon calls for more testing. (Michael Fabey)

US Navy (USN) officials say they are now gaining understanding of the operational flexibility of their littoral combat ship (LCS) fleet, even as the service plans to cut LCS anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, decommission several of the ships, and address testing needs recently identified by the Pentagon Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E).

“My hope is to make the best of all the remaining LCSs,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told reporters on 11 January, during the Surface Navy Association's (SNA's) annual symposium.

“I want to employ them as aggressively as we can and use them at every opportunity possible. That includes working with unmanned technology,” he said.

Speaking on 5 January at a media round table prior to the SNA symposium, Vice Admiral Roy Kitchener, USN commander, Naval Surface Force, and commander, Naval Surface Force, US Pacific Fleet, said, “We divested from the ASW mission, so we're really focused on SUW [surface warfare] mission package – and also the MCM [mine countermeasures] package.”

US Navy officials plan to use littoral combat ships for more operations as the Pentagon calls for more testing. (Michael Fabey)

US Navy (USN) officials say they are now gaining understanding of the operational flexibility of their littoral combat ship (LCS) fleet, even as the service plans to cut LCS anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, decommission several of the ships, and address testing needs recently identified by the Pentagon Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E).

“My hope is to make the best of all the remaining LCSs,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told reporters on 11 January, during the Surface Navy Association's (SNA's) annual symposium.

“I want to employ them as aggressively as we can and use them at every opportunity possible. That includes working with unmanned technology,” he said.

Speaking on 5 January at a media round table prior to the SNA symposium, Vice Admiral Roy Kitchener, USN commander, Naval Surface Force, and commander, Naval Surface Force, US Pacific Fleet, said, “We divested from the ASW mission, so we're really focused on SUW [surface warfare] mission package – and also the MCM [mine countermeasures] package.”

US Navy officials plan to use littoral combat ships for more operations as the Pentagon calls for more testing. (Michael Fabey)

US Navy (USN) officials say they are now gaining understanding of the operational flexibility of their littoral combat ship (LCS) fleet, even as the service plans to cut LCS anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, decommission several of the ships, and address testing needs recently identified by the Pentagon Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E).

“My hope is to make the best of all the remaining LCSs,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told reporters on 11 January, during the Surface Navy Association's (SNA's) annual symposium.

“I want to employ them as aggressively as we can and use them at every opportunity possible. That includes working with unmanned technology,” he said.

Speaking on 5 January at a media round table prior to the SNA symposium, Vice Admiral Roy Kitchener, USN commander, Naval Surface Force, and commander, Naval Surface Force, US Pacific Fleet, said, “We divested from the ASW mission, so we're really focused on SUW [surface warfare] mission package – and also the MCM [mine countermeasures] package.”