Optional production paths using common TriSeadon pieces, parts, interfaces, LCBs, and ISO modules.
Optional Branch — Not a Combat-Baseline Change
The protected TriSeadon combat baseline remains FFG, DDG, and CAG. This branch studies how the same hull-production knowledge, machinery families, structural standards, LCB geometry, ISO interfaces, consoles, training, spares, and supplier network could support lower-cost initial configurations and mission-specific derivatives.
A lower-cost ship is created by controlling what is installed at delivery, not by repeating the Littoral Combat Ship model or removing the blue-water structure, endurance, aviation support, maintainability, and growth provisions needed for later service.
| Hull Family | Optional Lower-Cost Build | Capabilities Preserved | Equipment That May Be Deferred or Changed | Later Path |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FFG | Blue-water ASW escort built with mature shaft-and-rudder propulsion and a controlled initial combat-system fit. | Ocean endurance, ASW hull discipline, sonar and aviation mission, crew sustainability, damage control, LCB/ISO interfaces, and useful self-defense. | Odyssey pods, PRIME battery depth, the complete AEGIR objective architecture, Mk 57 PVLS, directed-energy equipment, and nonessential mission packages may be deferred when an approved mature alternative is installed. | Remain in the lower-cost fleet, receive qualified systems during a later major refit, or enter an approved export or transfer pathway after demilitarization and releasability review. |
| DDG | Reduced-fit fleet or export destroyer using mature propulsion, certified launchers, and a mission-sized radar and weapons package. | Blue-water escort structure, air-defense command spaces, network participation, aviation support, modular interfaces, survivability provisions, and growth margin. | Highest-end radar aperture, full missile density, developmental weapons, batteries, pod propulsion, and restricted U.S.-only systems may be deferred, reduced, or replaced by releasable alternatives. | Upgrade by U.S. flight or refit decision, retain as a lower-cost theater escort, or build as a separately certified export configuration. |
| CAG | Reduced-fit command, aviation, fires-support, or large auxiliary derivative that uses CAG-scale volume without requiring the complete combat baseline. | Large-hull seakeeping, aviation and boat support, command volume, medical and habitability capacity, LCB/ISO interfaces, stores, electrical growth, and damage-control depth where appropriate to the mission. | Heavy weapons, PVLS banks, Trinion systems, top-tier combat sensors, armor allocation, and combat-system density may be omitted or replaced when the approved mission does not require them. | Serve as a hospital, drone-support, replenishment, expeditionary, command, training, or other auxiliary hull; conversion back to a combatant is not assumed and would require full engineering review. |
The protected FFG combat baseline remains the blue-water ASW frigate. These derivatives reuse FFG-family production, machinery, controls, LCB interfaces, ISO positions, and support systems where mission requirements permit; they do not redefine the combat baseline or repeat the LCS concept as the Navy's principal frigate.
Use conventional screw shafts, rudders, and gas-turbine machinery without the Aegir system, peripheral VLS, or selected optional equipment. Retain ocean endurance, ASW and aviation utility, common production pieces, and reserved pathways for later-flight refit where practical.
Configure an FFG-family hull for patrol, maritime security, distributed operations, boats, helicopters, and unmanned systems at lower acquisition and operating cost. This is a role-focused derivative using common TriSeadon pieces—not a replacement for the blue-water FFG baseline.
Develop a low-signature mine-countermeasures hull with UUV and USV launch, recovery, maintenance, charging, mission planning, mine detection, and disposal support. Acoustic, magnetic, shock, and maneuvering requirements require a dedicated derivative design.
Offer separately approved variants with releasable sensors, weapons, networks, communications, and mission modules. Common foundations can preserve an upgrade path without representing a direct copy of the protected U.S. combat configuration.
The protected DDG combat baseline remains unchanged. DDG-family auxiliaries can reuse suitable machinery, electrical architecture, aviation support, workshops, LCB interfaces, ISO handling, and production tooling while receiving mission-specific structure, stability, survivability, and certification.
Use aviation spaces, boats, command facilities, workshops, LCBs, and ISO positions for UAV, USV, and UUV launch, recovery, control, repair, charging, payload handling, data processing, and operator support.
Create a purpose-engineered replenishment derivative using common machinery, controls, workshops, cargo modules, and production methods with added dry stores, transfer stations, handling gear, and mission-appropriate fuel or ammunition safety systems.
Study an upper flight and transfer deck paired with a lower sheltered drone, cargo, maintenance, and handling deck. Clearances, elevators, firefighting, stability, exhaust flow, and aviation certification must be designed for the derivative.
Configure workshops, spares, command relay, disaster-response packages, test spaces, training systems, boats, or regional logistics support without permanently loading those functions into every DDG combatant.
The protected CAG combat baseline remains unchanged. The CAG family's volume, aviation facilities, common machinery, LCB interfaces, ISO handling, and production approach can support separately engineered large auxiliaries.
Replace combat-system and launcher volume with medical wards, operating rooms, intensive care, isolation, laboratories, medical stores, patient services, and casualty-flow infrastructure while retaining aviation support and mission-appropriate common machinery.
Open the Medical/Hospital ConceptProvide embarked-force berthing, messing, medical support, stores, planning spaces, boats, aviation support, and debarkation routes in a purpose-designed transport derivative.
Support helicopters, unmanned aircraft, boats, landing craft, command-and-control, maintenance, and sustainment for distributed amphibious operations. Launch arrangements and vehicle or craft interfaces require separate engineering.
Study a large upper flight deck with a lower protected hangar, maintenance, drone-handling, cargo, and mission deck. Aircraft mix, elevators, deck loads, firefighting, stability, and sortie requirements govern the final arrangement.
Use common machinery and production elements in a dedicated liquid-cargo derivative with segregated tanks, pumps, aviation-fuel systems, hazardous-zone controls, and alongside or astern transfer equipment.
Combine dry cargo, refrigerated stores, selected liquid cargo, aviation transfer, heavy handling, repair support, and LCB or ISO mission loads in a purpose-engineered replenishment hull.
LCBs and ISO interfaces can reduce redesign by providing repeatable physical, electrical, cooling, data, handling, fire-protection, and certification boundaries for mission equipment. They can support fuel-transfer equipment, workshops, drone support, medical packages, stores, command spaces, and other removable or replaceable capability.
They do not turn every combat hull into an oiler or hospital ship through a simple module swap. Bulk-liquid tanks, longitudinal strength, damage stability, hazardous-zone separation, replenishment stations, patient circulation, medical gases, sanitation, aviation casualty flow, ammunition handling, and regulatory certification must be designed into the derivative hull. Commonality lowers recurring cost only after those mission-specific requirements are engineered and tested.