Littoral combat ship Little Rock (LCS 9) is underway during a high-speed run in Lake Michigan during acceptance trials. Lockheed Martin Photo
The Navy will put a laser weapon on a Littoral Combat Ship for the first time this year, amid efforts to boost the LCS’s lethality and to develop and field a family of laser systems. Read More
This post is part of a series of review stories looking back at the top naval news from 2019.
2019 started with a surprise in the Navy budget request: the service needed to buy and test unmanned surface vehicles immediately to reach its ultimate goals for the surface force, and it was willing to sacrifice almost anything – including sidelining an aircraft carrier – to free up the funds to do so. Read More
Artist’s concept of a Lockheed Martin Multi-Mission Surface Combatant. US Navy
Lockheed Martin was awarded a $1.96 billion detailed design and construction to build four warships for Saudi Arabia, according to a Friday contract announcement. Read More
The following is the Dec. 16, 2019 Congressional Research Service report, Navy Frigate (FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress. Read More
USS Indianapolis (LCS 17) sits pierside the evening before its commissioning ceremony. US Navy Photo
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Navy is conducting wargames and prototyping efforts to better understand how unmanned surface vehicles will fit into the fleet and how the Littoral Combat Ship will expand its presence around the globe. Read More
Operations Specialist First Class Sean McNamara launches the Mk 18 Mod 2 Kingfish for an initial underwater survey of Sweeper Cove on Adak Island in the Alaska’s Aleutian chain. EODMU 1 is providing expeditionary mine countermeasures support in support of Arctic Expeditionary Capabilities Exercise 2019. EODMU 1 provides operational EOD capabilities to include locating, identifying, rendering safe, exploiting, recovering, and disposing of all explosive ordnance. US Navy photo.
The Navy had previously meant to replace its legacy mine countermeasures triad of helicopters, wooden-hull ships and divers with a Littoral Combat Ship mission package that could mostly do it all with unmanned systems – but unexpected success with a separate family of systems is leading to a new triad of capabilities for fleet commanders to employ. Read More
The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Detroit (LCS 7) departs Naval Station Mayport for a scheduled deployment. Detroit is deployed in support of Campaign Martillo, a joint operation with the U.S. Coast Guard and partner nations, within the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations. US Navy photo.
Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Detroit (LCS-7) departed Mayport, Fla., last week on its maiden deployment and the first deployment from the East Coast since a LCS community reorganization. Read More
The following is the Oct. 10, 2019 Congressional Research Service report, Navy Frigate (FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress. Read More
The following is the Oct. 5. commissioning ceremony of the newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Cincinnati (LCS-20), on the west pier in Gulfport, Mississippi. Read More
Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) launches a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) during Exercise Pacific Griffin on Oct. 1, 2019. US Navy Photo
The Navy has tested its latest anti-ship missile in a sinking exercise off of Guam, the service announced on Tuesday. Read More
