Posted on 02/12/2010 8:29:37 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The littoral combat ship USS Freedom will depart from Mayport Feb. 16 for its maiden deployment to the Southern Command and Pacific Command areas of responsibility.
Freedom will deploy to the waters surrounding Latin America to conduct counter-illicit trafficking operations and theater security cooperation activities while en route to its new homeport of San Diego, Calif. The ship will embark Detachment 2 from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 in Norfolk, Va.; the first tailored LCS Surface Warfare Mission Package from San Diego; and U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 704 from Miami to meet these mission requirements.
"This deployment comes a full two years ahead of schedule," said Cmdr. Randy Garner, commanding officer of Freedom's Gold Crew. "We are ready and eager to get to sea, head south, and show what Freedom and its crew are capable of doing."
The first ship in the revolutionary littoral combat ship class, Freedom is a fast, maneuverable, and networked surface modular ship designed to complement the Navy's larger multi-mission surface combatants in select mission areas, including combating submarines, mines, and fast-attack craft threats in the littorals
(Excerpt) Read more at beachesleader.com ...
Duncan Hunter’s baby
First time I have ever heard of a surface ship with the blue/gold crew thing. I thought that was pretty much just for boomers.
Anyone know the rationale behind it?
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Modern day distroyer?
Oops, that’s Independence.
Just boomers?
I thought the fast attacks were gold/blue crews too.
I hate to be picky, but I believe it’s spelled dEstroyer...
Its a fantastic ship.
Funny lookin’ but I’m sure she packs a punch!
nope.. SSN-607 USS Dace. You’re shaving with it...
Dunno. I thought it was just boomers, but I am not a sub guy. As I understood it, boomers need two crews so they can turnaround very quickly and get back to hiding underwater on deterrence patrols.
Looks to be Frigate in size and capability...with a couple of extra helicopters?
Having served on several, I thank you for your correction. When the fingers lag the mental process, all sorts of things can erupt. (dd 468, ddg 16 and dd 871)
It's a disaster.
I believe the long-term CONOP is 5 crews for 4 ships or 4 for 3 ships.
The PC Cyclones already use mulitple crews for groups of ships - some are always kept forward deployed in the Persian Gulf, with some kept in Norfolk that the crews train on before they rotate overseas.
Actually it can't really do much of anything. It has a decent 57 mm gun, and can carry some helicopters, but right now those are really the only operable weapons systems. The "mission packages" or "modules" - especially the anti-submarine and mine-warfare ones have basically been a fiasco, and they almost have to start over with both.
And the NLOS-LS missile for the anti-surface warfare package is not deployed yet.
Since when did they start naming a group ships after intimate female anatomy?
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