Surface Forces: An LCS Grows in Germany

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October 31, 2007: German firm Thyssenkrupp is offering a stealthy, "Littoral Combat Ship" for sale. The MEKO CSL (Combat Ship Littorals) displaces 2,800 tons, is 338 feet long, has a crew of 75 and a max speed of over 70 kilometers an hour. It looks very much like the one of the two LCS ship designs (the more conventional monohull one) being built for the U.S. Navy, and is considered a corvette class ship by European standards. The MEKO CSL would be armed with one three inch gun and several types of missiles. It has an endurance of 21 days, and could go about 6,000 kilometers at a cruising speed of 27 kilometers an hour. The rear of the ship is configured so that small commando craft or unmanned vessels can easily be launched.