{"id":22619,"date":"2021-05-10T22:49:11","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T22:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/05\/10\/cannibalized-parts-systems-that-sailors-cant-fix-lcs-maintenance-woes-could-get-worse-watchdog-warns\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:19:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:19:21","slug":"cannibalized-parts-systems-that-sailors-cant-fix-lcs-maintenance-woes-could-get-worse-watchdog-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/05\/10\/cannibalized-parts-systems-that-sailors-cant-fix-lcs-maintenance-woes-could-get-worse-watchdog-warns\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannibalized parts, systems that sailors can\u2019t fix: LCS maintenance woes could get worse, watchdog warns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When they first started filling the surface fleet\u2019s ranks 13 years ago, the Navy\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/breaking-news\/2021\/01\/19\/the-us-navy-halts-deliveries-of-freedom-class-littoral-combat-ship\/\" target=\"_blank\">littoral combat ships<\/a> were billed as agile, efficient vessels capable of taking on a variety of missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Part of that efficiency involved small crews, which in turn required heavy reliance on contractors for even routine maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But such choices have led the embattled class to encounter maintenance challenges not seen elsewhere in the fleet, issues that could imperil the ability of such ships to get out of maintenance on time and therefore lessen the number of ships available for operations, according to a recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gao.gov\/assets\/gao-21-172.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Government Accountability Office<\/a> report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GAO investigators found that the Navy doesn\u2019t even know how to repair many commercial systems onboard LCS and is starting to pay the manufacturers of such systems for the required data to troubleshoot and fix issues on the ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In one instance, a broken part aboard one LCS was replaced by a cannibalized working part from another LCS because the part\u2019s manufacturer \u201cdid not have a procedure to fix it,\u201d according to GAO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs a result, the Navy had to take the part from another ship to fix the first ship and put the broken part in storage,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n\n\n<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link smg-interstitial-link--fallback wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/static.militarytimes.com\/assets\/pdfs\/1620675404.pdf\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__fallback-link\">Read the Government Accountability Office&#039;s report on littoral combat ship maintenance issues<\/a><\/aside>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But even as the Navy works to get better at fixing its own littoral combat ships, contractors will still have to be flown overseas to perform routine maintenance, resulting in travel costs billed to the government that range from a few thousand dollars to more than $1 million, the report states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because the original manufacturers are the only ones who know how to fix certain ship systems, a lack of available repairmen can also imperil LCS maintenance schedules, GAO found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese challenges put pressure on the planned maintenance schedule for LCS and the effects are likely to be exacerbated as a greater number of ships begin operations and enter the maintenance cycle,\u201d GAO wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The LCS maintenance woes reported by GAO come as the Navy deals with a class-wide combining gear transmission issue in the Freedom variant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The long-promised LCS mission modules have also failed to materialize on the ships, meaning the class still has not taken on the diverse array of missions for which they were intended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/04\/29\/despite-littoral-combat-ships-myriad-issues-the-cno-is-bullish-on-their-future\/\" target=\"_blank\">Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday<\/a> told Navy Times\u2019 sister publication, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/naval\/2021\/04\/12\/high-operating-costs-cloud-the-future-of-littoral-combat-ships-budget-data-reveals\/#:~:text=Today%2C%20a%20littoral%20combat%20ship,is%20closer%20to%20%2450%20million.\" target=\"_blank\">Defense News<\/a>, last month that the sea service is working to push more LCS maintenance back to the deckplates and away from contractors as part of an effort to rein in the costs of operating the ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/breaking-news\/2021\/01\/19\/the-us-navy-halts-deliveries-of-freedom-class-littoral-combat-ship\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/detroit_lcs.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US Navy halts deliveries of Freedom-class littoral combat ship<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The Navy has told Lockheed Martin it will not accept deliveries of the Freedom-variant LCS until the combining gear issue is fixed.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSo, if you snap the chalk line today, the costs are pretty high, especially compared to a [guided-missile destroyer] DDG,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/naval\/2021\/04\/12\/high-operating-costs-cloud-the-future-of-littoral-combat-ships-budget-data-reveals\/#:~:text=Today%2C%20a%20littoral%20combat%20ship,is%20closer%20to%20%2450%20million.\" target=\"_blank\">Gilday said<\/a>. \u201cBut what we\u2019re trying to do is move from a contractor-centric maintenance model to a sailor-centric maintenance model, or a Navy-centric maintenance model.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GAO\u2019s late April report notes that LCS includes numerous commercial-based systems that are not used on other Navy ships, and that manufacturers have not provided the service with the technical data to maintain such systems, meaning the Navy is flying blind when it comes to certain components on its own ships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That lack of data can lead to longer maintenance periods due to the extra coordination required for manufacturers to assist with or complete such work, according to GAO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAlthough the Navy is establishing teams of its personnel to take on routine maintenance, contractors will continue performing some of this work,\u201d the GAO report states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GAO analyzed 18 LCS maintenance delivery orders spanning from fiscal 2018 to April 2020 and found the Navy \u201chad to contract for more repair work than originally planned, increasing the risk to completing LCS maintenance on schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA majority of this unplanned work occurred because the Navy did not fully understand the ship\u2019s condition before starting maintenance,\u201d GAO wrote, adding that the Navy is beginning to systemically collect maintenance data to more accurately plan for such work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The GAO\u2019s report found \u201csignificant unplanned work\u201d among the delivery orders it examined, \u201cindicating a greater likelihood of cost and schedule risk in completing LCS maintenance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link smg-interstitial-link--fallback wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/naval\/2021\/04\/12\/high-operating-costs-cloud-the-future-of-littoral-combat-ships-budget-data-reveals\/#:~:text=Today%2C%20a%20littoral%20combat%20ship,is%20closer%20to%20%2450%20million.\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__fallback-link\">High operating costs cloud the future of littoral combat ships, budget data reveals<\/a><\/aside>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LCS is grappling with numerous instances of unplanned maintenance \u2014 known as \u201cgrowth work\u201d &#8212; even when it comes to routine jobs, increasing the risk of higher costs and schedule delays, GAO wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA senior Navy maintenance official stated that the amount of growth work for LCS is \u2018unbelievable,\u2019\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In its analysis of 18 LCS delivery orders \u2014 16 of which were for minor or routine maintenance \u2014 GAO found that there were 651 contract change requests for growth work, and that 52 percent of those requests involved work that emerged only after the ship was in the availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The relative newness of the ships and their limited operations means the Navy had not had enough opportunities to collect data on growth work, according to GAO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LCS\u2019s acquisition and sustainment strategy consists of \u201ca heavy reliance on contractors, rather than sailors, for all types of maintenance,\u201d GAO wrote, a setup that requires contractors for routine maintenance and a heavy reliance on commercial systems manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Such maintenance contractors, referred to in the report as \u201cfly-away teams,\u201d travel overseas to conduct even routine and minor LCS maintenance, giving the already-costly enterprise an even higher price tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/04\/29\/despite-littoral-combat-ships-myriad-issues-the-cno-is-bullish-on-their-future\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/detroit_lcs.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Despite littoral combat ship\u2019s myriad issues, the CNO is \u2018bullish\u2019 on their future<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Issues with the combining gear of the Freedom-class LCS variants have forced the Navy to halt further acceptance of new ships. The CNO called that a \u201cbig problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because it relied heavily on commercial systems onboard LCS and allowed contractors to determine which systems were used in their designs, the Navy doesn\u2019t consistently have access to technical information necessary to maintain such systems, according to GAO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">GAO reported in March 2020 that, because the LCS program planned to use contracted maintenance, the Navy never purchased the technical documentation necessary to maintain ship systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis limited access to information is in contrast with other ship classes that have systems that provide the Navy greater access to technical data to inform maintenance tasks,\u201d the report states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Original manufacturers have also placed markings on data that obscure \u201ckey information,\u201d and the Navy \u201chas had to work with its legal team to remove these markings and to obtain needed rights to the information.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis requires more time and extends the maintenance process,\u201d the GAO wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Navy has recently started working with the manufacturers to purchase maintenance data about the ships and created a \u201cstrike team\u201d last summer to address LCS system failures, but GAO notes that the Navy has only recently begun funding efforts that involve plans to replace LCS commercial systems with Navy-owned systems.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Government Accountability Office report raises questions about the Navy&#8217;s LCS maintenance strategy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":47913,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":16,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,16,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3483],"class_list":["post-22619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-naval","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"RKRP6R56KBB2ZPJW2JWFZDGOBQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2021\/05\/10\/cannibalized-parts-systems-that-sailors-cant-fix-lcs-maintenance-woes-could-get-worse-watchdog-warns\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Cannibalized parts, systems that sailors can\u2019t fix: LCS maintenance woes could get worse, watchdog warns - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A Government Accountability Office report raises questions about the Navy&#039;s LCS maintenance strategy.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cannibalized parts, systems that sailors can\u2019t fix: LCS maintenance woes could get worse, watchdog warns\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Government Accountability Office report raises questions about the Navy&#039;s LCS maintenance strategy.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/naval\/2021\/05\/10\/cannibalized-parts-systems-that-sailors-cant-fix-lcs-maintenance-woes-could-get-worse-watchdog-warns\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-05-10T22:49:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T19:19:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Geoff Ziezulewicz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Geoff Ziezulewicz\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": 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