Tag Archives: USS Independence

Navy Decommissions First Littoral Combat Ship USS Freedom, Strikes Tug USNS Sioux

Navy Decommissions First Littoral Combat Ship USS Freedom, Strikes Tug USNS Sioux

The former Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) departs Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on Sept. 30 in preparations to be towed to Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility Bremerton. Freedom was decommissioned after more than 10 years of service. US Navy Photo

The Navy decommissioned the first Littoral Combat Ship with more than a decade of naval service last week. Read More

Navy Quietly Decommissions Littoral Combat Ship Independence

Navy Quietly Decommissions Littoral Combat Ship Independence

USS Independence (LCS-2) is moored alongside the pier during its decommissioning ceremony at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., on July 29, 2021. US Navy Photo

The namesake of the Navy’s Independence-class of Littoral Combat Ships left the fleet after 11 years in a small pier-side ceremony in San Diego on Thursday, according to the service. Read More

Navy Tries to Cut Four Littoral Combat Ships to Save $186M in FY 22 Budget

Navy Tries to Cut Four Littoral Combat Ships to Save $186M in FY 22 Budget

The crew of USS Little Rock (LCS-9) man the rails during the ship’s commissioning ceremony Dec. 16, 2017 in Buffalo, N.Y. US Navy Photo

This story has been updated to include comments from the Navy’s budget briefing.

The Navy wants to cut four Littoral Combat Ships from the fleet as part of a cost-saving measure that will net the service $186 million, according to the service’s latest budget request. Read More

Milley: China Striving 'To Be Our Equal' In Coming Decades

Milley: China Striving ‘To Be Our Equal’ In Coming Decades

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley testify before the House Appropriations Committee-Defense on the Fiscal 2022 Department of Defense Budget in the Pentagon Press Briefing Room, Washington, D.C., May 27, 2021. DoD Photo

While the Chinese are investing heavily in advanced technology, “they are not our peer or near-peer competitor just” militarily, but their goal is “to be our equal” across all domains in the coming decades, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said today. Read More

Report to Congress on U.S. Navy Frigate FFG(X) Program

Report to Congress on U.S. Navy Frigate FFG(X) Program

The following is the June 8, 2020 Congressional Research Service report, Navy Frigate (FFG[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress.

The FFG(X) program is a Navy program to build a class of 20 guided-missile frigates (FFGs). Congress funded the procurement of the first FFG(X) in FY2020 at a cost of $1,281.2 million (i.e., about $1.3 billion). The Navy’s proposed FY2021 budget requests $1,053.1 million (i.e., about $1.1 billion) for the procurement of the second FFG(X). The Navy estimates that subsequent ships in the class will cost roughly $940 million each in then-year dollars. Read More