On November 8 the commissioning of the first Littoral Combat ship (LCS) took place at Veterans Park. Cold, rainy weather did not stop over 9,000 people from attending a ceremony that included speeches from the Secretary of the Navy and the Chief of Naval Operations. Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter formally commissioned the ship when he stated, “May God bless this war ship and all who sail in her.”
The USS Freedom is the first of a class that will eventually include 55 war ships, designed to defeat growing littoral (shallow, or “brown water”) threats with an incredible array of war fighting capabilities according to a program issued by the United States Navy for the ceremony. What is unique about the LCS design, amongst many other things, is that it has many different interchangeable mission packages, or mission modules. These mission modules are contained in standard shipping containers, and can be easily interchanged aboard the ship. Moreover, these mission modules can be pre-positioned or airlifted anywhere in the world where there is a port. Thus, the Freedom can hunt mines one day and easily be converted to counter surface threats the next, without having to return to its homeport, according to the program.
For the time being, these mission packages include anti-surface, anti-submarine and mine-hunting modules. These modules rely largely on unmanned craft to carry out missions, keeping sailors and personnel out of harms way. According to the U.S. Navy, there could eventually be as many as nine warfare packages, including a special warfare, humanitarian and Marine Corps package.
Along with its plethora of war fighting capabilities, the Freedom was also designed with speed and maneuverability in mind. A combination of diesel and modified Boeing 777 jet engines enable the freedom to operate at sustained speeds of over 40 knots (56.5 mph), impressive for a 377 foot-long ship, according to the Navy. Just like a jet-ski, the ship uses water jets for propulsion and steering, instead of a traditional propeller and rudder. Because of its capabilities and unique design, the ship is said to not be a ship at all, but “a jet-ski on steroids.”
For the time being, the Freedom will be undergoing extensive sea trials to help the Navy finalize its plans for future ships of the class. However, according to Lt. Cmdr. Rich Jarret, Blue Crew operations officer, “the Freedom brings unprecedented capabilities to the table and it is very possible that she will be deployed to conduct missions before the trials are fully completed.”
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