The US will hand over 4 Littoral warships to the Greek Navy for free to counter Turkey, reports the well-known website Navyrecognition.
Which ship will the Greek Navy receive?
The US Navy's introduction of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) represents a major shift in naval warfare, focusing on operations in near-shore environments.
The LCS, is a class of small-sized surface ships, and is designed to be networked, flexible, to deal with anti-ship and asymmetric threats in littoral zones.
However, the effectiveness of these ships in their designated roles has been the subject of debate.
Comparable to corvettes in other types of warships, the LCS comes in two variants: the Freedom class and the Independence class.
These ships are slightly smaller than the US Navy's former Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates but larger than the Cyclone-class patrol vessels.
They are equipped with a hangar for two SH-60 or MH-60 Seahawk helicopters, a stern ramp for small boats, and the ability to carry a small commando force with vehicles at roll-on/roll-off port facilities.
Their standard armament includes 57 mm Mk 110 cannon and RIM-116 Rolling Airframe missiles, supplemented by autonomous boats, and underwater vehicles.
The LCS emphasizes speed, multi-type missions, and shallow draft, without the air defense and surface warfare capabilities of destroyers.
The first LCS, USS Freedom (LCS-1), was commissioned in 2008, followed by USS Independence (LCS-2) in 2010.
LCS missions rely heavily on transportable vehicles, such as helicopters and unmanned vehicles, to perform tasks such as mine clearance and anti-submarine operations.
This ship is not capable of front-line surface warfare
However, a 2010 Pentagon report raised concerns about the survivability of the LCS in hostile combat environments.
In response, the US Navy increased the speed and automation of these ships for damage control, with plans for the crew to abandon ship if necessary.
Despite these concerns, the LCS is not intended for front-line combat, but for missions such as minesweeping, patrolling, and standing alongside other, better-equipped ships.
While the LCS cannot effectively defend against anti-ship cruise missiles, its ability to operate in shallow waters provides tactical advantages in littoral zones.
Despite its innovative design, the LCS has faced many operational challenges.
A 2012 report by Rear Admiral Samuel Perez raised concerns about the ships' ability to meet the regional conflict demands of surface units, particularly against well-equipped warships.
The physical design of the Independence-class LCS, with its wide beam, was also noted to pose potential navigational problems in narrow waterways and harbors.
The assessment is that these warships do not have much to offer in the Aegean environment, especially during rough seas, but they can patrol our islands with multiple policing missions.
The bottom line is that in order to do combat, they will likely be required to be further equipped with close defense systems, and with ECM systems against the warships of the Turkish Navy.
