But even with the new missiles, part of patchwork of add-on capabilities the Navy has tried to stitch together on the perpetually underperforming ships over the years, the LCS will remain of limited utility in even mid-level threat environments and largely incapable of operating independently in an actual combat scenario. As it stands now, the ships’ only other on board weapons are a 57mm rapid fire gun and a RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile close-in protection system. There are also plans to add an over-the-horizon anti-ship missile capability in the future and the Independence-class USS Coronado has demonstrated the ability to launch RGM-84 Harpoons.

The Navy might conceivably decide the resources it is spending on the Hellfire capability could be better utilized on other pressing projects. The service might also come to the conclusion it makes more sense to focus entirely on the new frigate program, which will almost certainly produce more capable ships.

This seems unlikely, though, since abandoning the SSMM would be yet another admission that the LCS as a concept has failed to live up to the hype. It would also effectively relegate the existing examples entirely to second-line duties, such as counter drug patrols, something the service seems disinclined to do with any such ship for any reason.