US Navy to commission LCS 18
The US Navy is set to commission its eighth Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Charleston (LCS 18), at Columbus Street Terminal in Charleston, South Carolina, on 2 March.
The ship will be homeported in San Diego, California.
The future USS Charleston has been designed to support operations in near-shore environments as well as in the open ocean. The vessel is capable of countering asymmetric anti-access threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.
The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA, Mobile, Alabama.
More from Naval Warfare
-
RTX Raytheon advances with the development of new Barracuda mine neutraliser
The new Barracuda version has been engineered to perform enhanced subsea and seabed warfare missions.
-
Future of the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke programme remains unclear
The US Navy does not have a precise date for the award of the procurement contract for the third Arleigh Burke-class destroyer despite having the funds to advance with the programme in FY2025.
-
US Navy may look to foreign suppliers to accelerate shipbuilding programmes
The US Navy (USN) is currently reassessing its acquisition efforts and seeking ways to reduce the multiple delays across the shipbuilding initiatives.