The purpose of this research is to explore the current risks associated with the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). There are several compelling reasons for the radical changes incorporated in the LCS design. A better understanding of the risks that the ship and crew will assume is vital to the proper use of this new platform and will help ensure the safety of both. This study does not advocate complete risk mitigation aboard the LCS, but strives to increase the overall risk awareness. The risk of combining so many new and untested elements on a single ship must be understood by all of those who are involved in its implementation. The arrival of the first LCS, projected to be operational in 2007, will represent a reduced manning concept designed from the ground up and the first of a new family of US naval combatants built to face the future maritime threats. With the proposed ship class of up to fifty-five ships, the US Navy needs to make sure that LCS is not assuming too much risk. | Littoral Combat Ship by Jonathan C Russell, Paperback | Indigo Chapters