General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin considered much of the data and equipment on the LCS proprietary — a problem that the GAO has identified throughout the military. As a result, only their employees were allowed to do certain repairs, former officers said.

Watson and others spent much of their time escorting contractors while on board because so many areas on the ship were considered classified, reducing the Navy personnel’s ability to do their own jobs, according to interviews with multiple officers who had served on the LCS.

Cumbersome negotiations meant it could sometimes take weeks to get contractors on board. The delays were especially frustrating when trying to fix the computer network that connected everything – from the radars to the weapons systems to the ship’s canteen. That system, another former lieutenant said, frequently shut down because of software glitches.

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