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June 01, 2019

Corvette Carriers: A New Littoral Warfare Strategy

By LtCol Colin Smith

The U.S. Navy has long identified threats in the littorals and the need to fight within these close waters, but it still struggles with creating a capable fighting force that provides speed, lethality, and a deterrent. Expeditionary strike groups are back in vogue with the Navy–Marine Corps team; a new frigate may soon be on the horizon; and the littoral combat ships (LCSs) still are in search of a viable combat mission. These options, however, all involve large, expensive platforms and have been the focus of the surface fleet for too long. What the Navy–Marine Corps team needs is a complement to existing capital ships—fast-attacking ships that are strategic assets and can be deployed globally.

Read the full article in the June 2019 issue of Proceedings.

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