Little Rock completes acceptance trials
Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine have successfully completed acceptance trials on the US Navy’s future Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Little Rock.
USS Little Rock is the fifth Freedom-variant LCS built by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine.
The five-day trials, conducted in port and at sea by the US Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey, signify the last major milestone before the ship's delivery.
During the trials, the navy conducted comprehensive tests of the LCS to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship handling and auxiliary systems.
The team is currently in full-rate production of the Freedom-variant of the LCS and has delivered four ships to the US Navy to date. The future USS Little Rock is one of eight ships in various stages of construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, with one more in long-lead production.
Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine are now preparing Little Rock for delivery in the coming weeks. The ship will be commissioned later this year in Buffalo, New York.
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![What the rise of interoperability between Western allies means for defence procurement]()
What the rise of interoperability between Western allies means for defence procurement
Major naval initiatives including the European Patrol Corvette programmes and Norway’s UK partnership-focused purchase of Type 26 frigates point to the growing interest in the advantages of commonality across allied navies.
-
![Kraken’s Royal Navy USV contract signals next step in crewed-uncrewed integration]()
Kraken’s Royal Navy USV contract signals next step in crewed-uncrewed integration
The UK Royal Navy’s rapid procurement of uncrewed platforms aligns with the force’s strategic shift towards a fleet better equipped to handle modern threats.
-
![HMS Anson’s milestone stay in Australia cut short during AUKUS deployment]()
HMS Anson’s milestone stay in Australia cut short during AUKUS deployment
The Astute-class submarine’s visit to Australia was the first time maintenance activity on a UK Royal Navy nuclear submarine had been carried out in the country.
-
![How Operation Epic Fury could reduce US readiness to face China]()
How Operation Epic Fury could reduce US readiness to face China
The offensive against Iran could impact training and maintenance cycles and accelerate the degradation of the US arsenal on top of depleting Washington’s stockpiles.
-
![UK Royal Navy explores modular counter-drone capabilities for future hybrid fleet]()
UK Royal Navy explores modular counter-drone capabilities for future hybrid fleet
The UK MoD is scoping out systems to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems, with a focus on low-cost modularity and speed to field.
