[2][3] The program is the culmination of the Large Surface Combatant (LSC) initiative that followed the cancellation of CG(X) and curtailing of the procurement of the Zumwalt-class destroyers.

[4][5] With the cancellation of the CG(X) in 2010, the U.S. Navy embarked on new studies and programs for the future of the air defense role fulfilled by the Ticonderoga-class cruisers.

[6][7] Meanwhile, the procurement of the Zumwalt-class destroyers was severely curtailed due to high costs and a renewed emphasis on air and missile defense for larger combatants.

The Navy also launched studies into a Future Surface Combatant (FSC) to replace the Ticonderoga-class—which will reach the end of their service lives in the 2020s—as well as older flights of the Arleigh Burke class.

A concept presented at the 2022 Surface Warfare Symposium depicts an angular hull form with displacement of 13,290 long tons (13,500 t), a conventional bow and a superstructure reminiscent of the Zumwalt-class destroyer.

The vessels will be able to accommodate larger missile launch systems, improved survivability, and space, weight, power, and cooling margins for future growth.