The US Navy's Littoral Combat Ship Mission Modules program office has successfully delivered critical counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capabilities to the forward-deployed Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Indianapolis.
In Fall 2024, the program upgraded both the software and hardware of the Surface-to-Surface Missile Module (SSMM) to enhance the ship’s defence posture while on deployment. SSMM can address a range of threats including surface, land, and aerial threats.
The SSMM is one of the three mission modules within the LCS Surface Warfare (SUW) Mission Package (MP). Originally designed to extend the range and number of targets that the LCS can engage using vertically launched AGM-114 Longbow Hellfire (LBHF) missiles to counter small boat threats, the SSMM has since demonstrated its ability to counter a variety of threats including airborne ones. In 2022, a modified version of the SSMM successfully executed a land attack demonstration.
"Recent events in the US 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility underscore the importance of equipping our warships with up-to-date C-UAS to keep emerging threats at bay," said Captain Matthew Lehmann, program manager of the LCS Mission Modules (PMS 420) program office. "By leveraging the adaptability of proven technologies in partnership with the Integrated Warfare Systems 80 program office, we were able to deliver on a critical need to the fleet."