USS Independence, LCS 2...WOW! MUST SEE

instapinch.com ^ | 5/02/08

[LJayne]

I have no idea how GenDynamics is doing, but this first ship looks absolutley wicked!

Its tri-maran hull combined with the capabilities and look of a warship makes it something out of this world!

[SuziQ]

Cool! I hadn’t heard of that one!

[doxteve]

“Lord Vader your ship is ready .”

Lord Vader and his 12 penetrators?

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Hey Jeff, check this out!

[Jeff Head]

Saw it, and had already posted it on another forum. Got beat to it here.

The one pic seemks to show both a 20mm CIWS and a RAM launcher. That would be good for anti missile defense.

The Bofors au57mm auto cannon will be a great littoral weapon.

Lots of room on the helo pad and in the hangar, and lots of room (for this size vessel) in the ROR cargo area, as well as a small well deck for spec ops.

I like the General Dynamics Design.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Wow! That is one mean looking warship in profile as well. Thanks for the pic! I hope that the Navy is able to procure enough of these to keep on projecting American power well into the future.

[txzman]

“Charlie don’t surf....”

Good one! Missed by most I guess. And there’s the rub - how well the Chicoms would do against the US Navy when the metal starts flying.

[devane617]

Looks like the Monitor.

[bmwcyle]

I’ll bet she moves quick through the water.

[Jeff Head]

Well, these are called "Littoral Combat Ships", or LCS> They are specifically designed to fight in the shallow waters and take on samll craft and particularly the diesel/electric subs so many nations are building.

They will come with a number of mission packages that can be changed out in a day to refit them for different functions. Some of the packages are ASW for anti-submarine, anti-mine operations, special operations, and probably one for anti-surface (ship on ship combat) missions.

Each displaces as much as a medium sized frigate at about 2800 tons full load. Each has a common defense suite and sensor suite that includes a principle gun and short range anti-air defense.

We are building two brands in competition now, this trimaran design from General Dynamics, and a more traditional hull desgin from Lockheed, which was luanched last year.

Here is a poc of the Lockheed vessel, LCS-1 USS Freedom.

Current competition calls for 3 ships of the best design and 2 ships of the next best design. Many feel that both ships will be built, maybe 36 or more of the winner, and 24 or so of the 2nd place. But we shall see.

[AmericaUnited]

That thing reminds me of Dark Vader's helmet in aluminum.

[AmericaUnited]

Dark = Darth

[maine-iac7]

http://novascotiaoceanfrontforsale.com/db4/00337/novascotiaoceanfrontforsale.com/_uimages/phototour_01.jpg

For us civilians, the CAT is a great second best =

She rides a 3 to 3 1/2 hours from Maine to Nova Scotia at 40 knots=

She has two movie 'theaters', a casino, restaurant, etc...

[LJayne]

My husband wants one of those for Father’s Day!

[Oztrich Boy]

I hope that the Navy is able to procure enough of these to keep on projecting American power well into the future.

The USA needs to rely on American firms for essential defence equipment, not foreigners.

[suthener]

Thanks. I didn’t got to the link. Knowing you’re from down here, I thought you might have had a connection.

[eureka!]

Kewl. Mark for my little one later...

[jws3sticks]

I bet the folks with the CAD program had a blast designing this dream ship. It deserves a WOW!

[Stonewall Jackson]

That is one mean looking warship. It reminds me of the fictional destroyer USS Cunningham from James Cobb's Amanda Garrett series.

I wonder if the future US Navy destroyers and cruisers will have similar low profiles or if they will still be along traditional lines.

[Doofer]

I am sorry to see it named the Independence, only because the first war ship I ever visited was the REAL USS Independence in Norfolk, back in 1963. It is/was quite a ship. I had a great tour by an old ham radio friend who was a legal officer at the naval base. The Intrepid, a smaller carrier was docked beside the Independence.

When I first read the title I was thinkng this was about my old ship. Oh well...

[MosesKnows]

sounds like a mission for the Coast Guard

Littoral means a coastal region without defining whose coastal region.