Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) pulls along pierside in Naval Base San Diego, Dec. 7, 2018. US Navy Photo
SAN DIEGO – The Navy is striving to field “revolutionary combat capability” in new ships and through mid-life modernizations, but it can do so while keeping risk low by focusing on new weapons and systems rather than radical new hull designs, the program executive officer for ships said. Read More
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) launches a Standard Missile (SM) 2 Block IIIA on Nov. 18, 2018. Bainbridge is underway with Norfolk-based cruiser-destroyer (CRUDES) units from Carrier Strike Group 12 conducting a Live Fire With a Purpose (LFWAP) event. US Navy photo.
SAN DIEGO – The Navy is looking at “something beyond even a Flight III” combat capability for its new-build destroyers, as its plans for transitioning from building the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to the future Large Surface Combatant continue to evolve and the LSC procurement date continues to slide. Read More
Naval Air Station Key West color guard parades the colors during the commissioning ceremony of USS Billings (LCS-15). Billings is the 17th littoral combat ship to enter the fleet and the eighth of the Freedom-variant. Navy photo
The Navy commissioned USS Billings (LCS-15) at a ceremony in Key West, Fla., over the weekend, adding the eighth Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship to fleet. Read More
Indonesian Navy sailors watch as the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS-8) arrives in the port of Tanjung Perak as part of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Indonesia 2019 on July 31, 2019. US Navy Photo
A Littoral Combat Ship operating in the Pacific is participating in its first international exercise since the LCS program reorganized and rebooted its deployments to Singapore. Read More
Austal USA rendering of proposed EPF hospital ship. Austal USA
Australian-based Austal Limited predicts its work building U.S. Navy ships in Alabama and ferries in Australia will drive an increase in earnings this year, according to a statement released by company executives.
The full House of Representatives passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act on a strict party-line vote.
Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VX-1) Sailors Aviation Machinist’s Mate Second Class Salvatore Green, left, and Aviation Electronics Technician Third Class Jake Price prepare the MC-8C Fire Scout to launch from the Independence variant littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) on June 21, 2018. Navy photo.
The Navy declared its MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter mission capable and ready to deploy aboard Littoral Combat Ships.
The following is the June 25, 2019 Congressional Research Service report, Navy Frigate (FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress. Read More
The Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Detroit (LCS-7) fires an AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missile during a live-fire missile exercise. US Navy photo.
This post has been updated with additional imagery.
The Navy has finished the structural testing needed to confirm that the Hellfire anti-surface missile can safely operate on the Littoral Combat Ship, and the missile will go out on a ship deployment later this year, USNI News understands. Read More
The littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS-8) departs Naval Base San Diego to conduct routine operations and training in the Pacific Ocean. US Navy photo.
This post has been updated to include a comment from a Navy official regarding the timeline of the USS Montgomery deployment.
There is a Littoral Combat Ship operating forward on deployment for the first time in 19 months, with USS Montgomery (LCS-8) arriving in the Philippines over the weekend on its maiden deployment. Read More
