Preface The purpose of this report is to validate the United States Navy's need for the Littoral Combat Ship to fulfill the Sea Power 21 naval strategy. The end of the Cold War shifted the maritime threat from the open-ocean to the littorals. Legacy warships designed for open-ocean operations are not well suited to operate in the littorals, thus the Navy must adjust its procurement to deal with emerging littoral threats. The Navy envisions having to operate in the littorals for the foreseeable

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... uture. The littorals demand a warship that is suited to operate in that environment and deal with the mine warfare, diesel submarines, and small craft surface threat. The ability to deal with these threats will enable the Navy to carry out the Sea Power 21 naval strategy concepts of Sea Shield and Sea Strike. A number of options are available to meet the requirements of a littoral combatant. Each of these options will be analyzed to demonstrate their merit and determine which one meets the requirements of a Littoral Combat Ship. I'd like to thank my faculty advisors, friends and family for their patience and help with this paper. Report Documentation Page Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.