FCS Launcher to Protect New Navy Ship

[unhappycamper]

FCS Launcher to Protect New Navy Ship
November 19, 2008
Army News Service|by Sam P. Tricomo

MILWAUKEE - The Non-Line of Sight Launch System, being developed as part of the Army's Future Combat Systems, has been selected for use aboard the first of the U.S. Navy's Littoral Combat Ships, the USS Freedom.

USS Freedom was commissioned Nov. 8 during a ceremony in Milwaukee in which the ship's sponsor was Birgit Smith, the widow of Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith who was killed in Iraq with the 3rd Infantry Division.

The 378-foot Freedom -- along with its sister ship, Independence, being built in Mobile, Ala. -- represents a new class of ship for the Navy. These Littoral Combat Ships are designed to operate quickly in shallow water to counter threats in costal regions, known as littoral areas , Navy officials said. They said the ships are specifically designed to counter mines, submarines and fast in-shore attack craft.

At the core of the new ship's capability to counter the coastal threats is the NLOS-Launch System, said Allan Ashley, the Navy liaison at the NLOS-LS Project Office. He said the launch system is scheduled to be evaluated aboard the new ship during tests set for early 2009.

NLOS-LS is being developed as part of the Army's FCS program to provide Soldiers with a rapidly deployable precision-fires delivery system. NLOS-LS is one of the first FCS components slated to be fielded, and is scheduled for delivery to Infantry brigade combat teams in 2011.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/army-news/fcs-launcher-to-protect-new-navy-ship.html




uhc comment: Of course the article does not mention that there are only two of these $600,000,000 wonders in existence.