Description

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a fast, agile and networked surface combatant, optimized for operating in the littorals. The primary missions for the LCS include countering diesel submarine threats, littoral mine threats and surface threats, such as small surface craft attacks, to assure maritime access for joint forces. The underlying strength of the LCS lies in its innovative design approach, applying modularity for operational flexibility. Fundamental to this approach is the capability to rapidly install interchangeable mission packages (MPs) onto the seaframe to fulfill a specific mission and then be uninstalled, maintained and upgraded at the Mission Package Support Facility (MPSF) for future use aboard any LCS seaframe.

Features
Each MP provides unique warfighting capabilities for one of two focused mission areas:

- Mine Countermeasures (MCM): detection and neutralization of mine threats
- Surface Warfare (SUW): maritime security and prosecution of surface threats

These shipboard capabilities are supported by the LCS Mission Package Support Facilities (MPSFs) located at Naval Base Ventura County, California and Naval Station Mayport, Florida. The MPSF plays an integral role as a primary provider of maintenance and technical support for all LCS embarked mission packages. Additionally, the MPSF has a virtual presence to provide around-the-clock services for deployed LCS mission modules and ensure the LCSs ability to support mission packages according to operational demands.

Mission systems fit inside standard 10-foot or 20-foot support containers (SCs), or on flat racks and transport containers. These containers and flat racks meet the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards. Using ISO SCs simplifies shipping, storage, and ensures the availability of handling equipment, along with container movement from shore-to-ship and ship-to-shore.

Background
A mission package (MP) consists of mission modules (MMs) and support aircraft. A MM combines mission systems (vehicles, sensors, communications, and weapon systems), support equipment, Mission Package Computing Environment (MPCE) hardware and software, and Multiple Vehicle Communications System (MVCS) hardware and software, which is installed into the LCS via standard interfaces. The MPCE provides the local information technology (IT) infrastructure for MP operations and the required network interfaces to the Total Ship Computing Environment (TSCE) onboard the LCS. It is the primary interface that enables the mission package to work on the ship. The MPCE is a permanently installed equipment shipset in each LCS variant. The hierarchal MP concept is best described in three layers:

Mission Systems = Vehicles, Sensors, and Weapons
Mission Module = Mission Systems + Support Equipment + Standard Interfaces
Mission Package = Mission Modules + Supporting Aircraft

The quantity of each mission package type differs based on an analysis of projected operational needs; therefore, mission packages are developed and procured separately from the LCS. This allows the platform, the warfighting capability, to quickly adapt to evolving threats using improved technology. This concept also helps to reduce the overall cost of the LCS and allows for a smaller crew that will continuously operate and maintain the ship and its core systems. The SUW MP is operating in the 4th, 5th, and 7th Fleets area of responsibilities. In 2025, the first three MCM MPs deployed aboard USS Canberra (LCS 30), USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32), and USS Tulsa (LCS 16), with a fourth MCM MP embarking on USS Kansas City (LCS 22) for crew training and relief support. These deployments followed key milestones including Initial Operational Capability declared in March 2023, Full Rate Production Decision for the MCM USV in September 2023, and multiple red team tests confirming operational readiness.