Navy commissions newest warship, others coming

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 1/16/10 | Andrea Shalal-Esa

[NormsRevenge]

MOBILE, Alabama (Reuters) – The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest warship on Saturday, a 379-feet (115.5- meter) aluminum three-hulled vessel built by General Dynamics Corp, one of two designs vying for billions of dollars of follow-on orders.

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead told reporters as he traveled to the ceremony that the new class of fast, flexible shallow-water warships would be useful for a wide range of missions, including responding to humanitarian disasters like the earthquake in Haiti.

Roughead said the first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) built by Lockheed Martin Corp, a more traditional steel monohull ship which is in Norfolk, Virginia, awaiting deployment to the Caribbean, could be used to quickly move supplies from the U.S. military base at Guantanamo, Cuba, to Haiti.

"Right now we're working a lot of different options, but if the LCS would be of value in Haiti, then that's where it's going to be," Roughead said, noting the ship's shallow draft made it well-suited to bolster the U.S. military effort there.

Regardless of which design wins, the Littoral Combat Ships will dramatically shift the way the Navy will operate, featuring interchangeable mission packages to hunt for mines, fight pirates or other enemies in small boats, or track enemy submarines -- depending on what is needed at the time.

If he had more of the new ships -- which carry manned and unmanned helicopters -- already available, they would be deployed like a "swarm of bees" around Haiti, Roughead said.

[NormsRevenge]

The future USS Freedom (LCS 1), the first ship in the U.S. Navy's new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) class, undergoes builder's trials on Lake Michigan near Marinette, Wisconsin in this picture taken July 28, 2008. REUTERS/U.S. Navy/Lockheed-Martin/Handout

[Sacajaweau]

Someone said it the other day...We should be hiring Merchant Ships...They're the real experts in this.

They may be right.

[Sacajaweau]

Before I forget, one of the newscasters said Hawaii instead of Haiti...and quickly corrected himself.

[IrishCatholic]

The port facilities are damaged from the quake. The merchant service would be good if they can fix it so they can unload, but right now it is more a military specialty.

[MAD-AS-HELL]

Roughead said the first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)

you can not make this stuff up....and i bet he got teased a lot in school...

[NonValueAdded]

Didn’t the Senate already slash one of these out of the 2010 budget? And what will be diverted up to Bath Iron Works in Maine in a desperate attempt to flip one of the two Senatrix?

[Lurking in Kansas]

Is it just me, or do I see a faint resemblance to the CSS Virginia?

[buccaneer81]

It took the ding-a-ling journalist six paragraphs before he finally tells us the name of this vessel.

Independence.

[buccaneer81]

And what will be diverted up to Bath Iron Works in Maine in a desperate attempt to flip one of the two Senatrix?

No need for that. Bath is full up constructing more Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

[A.A. Cunningham]

100116-N-8273J-025 MOBILE, Ala. (Jan. 16, 2010) The new littoral combat ship, USS Independence (LCS 2) is pier side during her commissioning ceremony. Independence is the second of two littoral combat ships designed to operate in shallow water environments to counter threats in coastal regions. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst/Released)/center>

090712-N-0000G-004 GULF OF MEXICO (July 12, 2009) The littoral combat ship Independence (LCS 2) underway during builder's trials. Builder's trials are the first opportunity for the shipbuilder and the U.S. Navy to operate the ship underway, and provide an opportunity to test and correct issues before acceptance trials. (Photo courtesy Dennis Griggs General Dynamics/Released)

090712-N-0000G-007 GULF OF MEXICO (July 12, 2009) The littoral combat ship Independence (LCS 2) underway during builder's trials. Builder's trials are the first opportunity for the shipbuilder and the U.S. Navy to operate the ship underway, and provide an opportunity to test and correct issues before acceptance trials. (Photo courtesy Dennis Griggs General Dynamics/Released)

[bert]

My initial thought as well

[Mister Muggles]

Way cool photos...Thanks!

[NonValueAdded]

No need for that. Bath is full up constructing more Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

That is great to hear.

[A.A. Cunningham]

You are welcome.

[DariusBane]

I just always wonder how multi hulls will overcome asymmetrical damage. What happens if you hit a mine with one of the outboard hulls? Can she still steer?

[NTHockey]

What is it with the Navy getting ships with peashooters for guns? If you are going after pirates, ssome 5” turrets would help immensely. Missiles are of little help in shallow waters or do they expect helicopters to do all the shooting?

[GATOR NAVY]

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead told reporters as he traveled to the ceremony that the new class of fast, flexible shallow-water warships would be useful for a wide range of missions, including responding to humanitarian disasters like the earthquake in Haiti.

They are truly digging deep to find any mission this class of ship is actually capable of. LCS is a money pit.

[rbmillerjr]

I’d rather see some improvements in naval aviation that will be needed to fight in the seas off of China...than this cool looking target.

[DTogo]

220 rpm of 57mm ammo could chew up a lot of pirate boats very quickly:
http://www.baesystems.com/ProductsServices/l_and_a_sea_mk110.html