The following is a May 12, 2017 letter from Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) to President Donald Trump on preserving the production of the Littoral Combat Ship. Read More
Tag Archives: Freedom-class
Navy Says LCS Shock Trials Had Positive Results; Pentagon Still Has Concerns
USS Jackson (LCS 6) successfully completed the first of three scheduled full ship shock trials June 10. US Navy photo.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Full ship shock trials on both variants of the Littoral Combat Ship proved the ships are survivable and will only need “relatively minor modifications,” according to Navy written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, but the Pentagon’s top operational tester warned in his written testimony that the shocks were performed at reduced severity due to concerns about excessive damage to the ships. Read More
Opinion: LCS Ready Today to Support Tomorrow’s Automated Warfare Systems
Sailors assigned to Surface Warfare Mission Package Detachment 2 prepare to be hoisted out of the water by the littoral combat ship USS Coronado’s (LCS 4) twin-boom-extensible crane following a visit, board, search and seizure training exercise on Aug. 15, 2015. US Navy photo.
The path to a 350-ship fleet supported by President-elect Donald Trump will not be any easy one in the face of continued sequestration. Read More
Stackley: Funding Levels Creating Risk In U.S. Navy Attack Submarine, Surface Combatant Fleets
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Research, Development and Acquisition Sean J. Stackley visits Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head, Md. US Navy Photo
The Navy is doing “the best we can do for the dollars we have” but has developed its attack submarine acquisition plan, cruiser modernization plan and Littoral Combat Ship/frigate downselect plan based on funding shortfalls rather than strategic needs, Navy acquisition chief Sean Stackley told the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee. Read More
Senators McCain, Reed Blast Littoral Combat Ship Development in Letter to Navy Leaders
USS Freedom (LCS-1), left, and USS Independence (LCS-2) in 2012. US Navy Photo
The senior leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) took aim at almost every aspect of the Littoral Combat Ship program in letter issued last week to the heads of the U.S. Navy. Read More
Lockheed Martin Could Have More Flexibility to Build Planned Saudi Ships If Proposed LCS Trim Goes Through
An artist’s conception for variants of the Freedom-class LCS design provided to USNI News. Lockheed Martin Image
A potential bright side for Lockheed Martin — if Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s proposed trim of Littoral Combat Ship and frigates goes through – is its Wisconsin shipyard could have more flexibility to build four planned ships for the Royal Saudi Arabian Navy, a Lockheed official told reports on Monday. Read More
Littoral Combat Ship USS Jackson Commissions
USS Jackson (LCS-6) during its christening ceremony at Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. in 2014. US Navy Photo
The sixth littoral combat ship – USS Jackson (LCS-6) – was commissioned on Saturday in a ceremony in Gulfport, Miss. Read More
Reports: Saudis Interested in Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship as Part of $20B Fleet Expansion
A Lockheed Martin concept for variations of the Freedom-class LCS design from corvette to Frigate sized hulls. Lockheed Martin Photo
Saudi Arabia is leaning toward buying a variant of the Lockheed Martin Littoral Combat Ship as a key component of a long-awaited multi-billion dollar refresh of its Eastern Fleet in a deal that could close as early as year’s end, according to press reports confirmed by USNI News. Read More
SECNAV Mabus Names Ship After Home of National Baseball Hall of Fame
Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus delivers remarks during the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend. During his speech Mabus announced the name of the future Freedom-class littoral combat ship (LCS-23) as USS Cooperstown. US Navy Photo
The Navy is naming a Freedom-class littoral combat ship (LCS) after the home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and in honor of the 64 U.S. veterans enshrined in one of the sports most well-known sites, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced in a Saturday speech. Read More
LCS Jackson Completes Acceptance Trials Ahead of Summer Delivery
Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Jackson (LCS 6) during its christening ceremony at Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. in 2014. Austal USA Photo
A previous version of this post indicated the prime contractor for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Jackson was General Dynamics when it was in fact Austal USA. General Dynamics was the prime contractor for the first two Independence-class ships, not the first four. Jackson is the first Independence-class LCS with Austal as the prime contractor.
The Littoral Combat Ship Jackson (LCS-6) has completed its acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of a planned delivery to the Navy later this summer, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) announced on Tuesday. Read More
