On board the USS Jackson (LCS 6) on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, in San Diego, Calif. (Nelvin C. Cepeda, The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS)
(Tribune News Service) — The USS Jackson returned to Naval Base San Diego from deployment Friday facing the possibility of being decommissioned years early over concerns that the littoral combat ship isn’t well enough designed and equipped to defend itself in combat.
Congress and the Navy also have expressed concern that vessels like Jackson are far more expensive than anticipated to operate, and that LCS crews are struggling to perform their basic missions, which include finding submarines and mine counter warfare.
For those reasons, the Navy also is considering decommissioning another San Diego-based LCS, the USS Montgomery.
The 7-year-old Montgomery and 8-year-old Jackson are Independence-class LCS. The Navy also features Freedom-class LCS. Both classes have had problems. Last week, the Navy decomissioned two of the ships, USS Detroit and USS Little Rock. Both are less than a decade old.
The Navy had intended for these type of vessels, which cost about $500 million to build, to last about 25 years.
The mood was far more upbeat Saturday in Tampa, Fla., where the Navy commissioned the USS Jack H. Lucas, its newest Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The ship, which cost about $2 billion, will travel to its homeport, San Diego, later this year.
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