USS Tulsa arrives for commissioning
The future (LCS) USS Tulsa Littoral Combat Ship has arrived at Naval Base San Diego from the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, ahead of its scheduled commissioning in February 2019.
On its maiden voyage from Alabama the vessel made several port calls and completed a successful transit through the Panama Canal while its crew carried out drills and training.
Equipped with advanced sonar and mine hunting capabilities, Tulsa will be the second LCS slated for the US Navy’s newly forming mine countermeasures division.
LCS are high speed, agile, shallow draft, mission-focused surface combatants designed for operations in the littoral environment, and fully capable of open ocean operations.
More from Naval Warfare
-
South Korea, Japan and Turkey vie for US shipbuilding access in future frigate contest
Washington’s search for a foreign-built frigate could hand South Korea, Japan and Turkey a larger prize than a double-hull order: a foothold inside the US shipbuilding industrial base.
-
Japan’s FY2027 budget bets on stand-off systems to offset demographic decline
Japan’s FY2027 defence budget backs stand-off strike, a 17-aircraft MQ-9B buy and a declared bid to lead the world in uncrewed maritime assets, alongside new frigates, submarines and support ships.
-
Russia’s uncrewed boat portfolio hints at future naval demand
Ukrainian intelligence has catalogued more than 20 Russian uncrewed surface vessels, revealing a portfolio weighted towards mine warfare and logistics, with implications for Western naval investment.
-
Ukraine’s new long-range 12m autonomous vessel can deploy other drones
Ukraine’s UForce unveiled the MV11 uncrewed surface vessel, designed to launch and support other naval drones at sea, fuelling debate over the future of autonomous maritime task groups.
-
Global submarine suppliers compete for a rapidly shrinking market
Diminishing submarine competitions worldwide are leaving fewer acquisition opportunities, pushing contractors toward alternatives.