The US Navy is set to commission its new Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 13, the future USS Wichita, at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida, on 12 January.
Wichita is a Freedom-class LCS designed to support operation in near-shore environments as well as in the open-ocean. The vessel can be deployed to support missions in the areas of mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare.
The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom-variant and the Independence-variant. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin and the Independence-variant team is led by Austal USA.
The USCG plans to award a contract this year for the construction of Homeland Security Cutters. The new vessels will replace the 60-plus-year-old fleet of Light Icebreaking Tugs.
The expansion of the Redstone facility in Alabama will enable Raytheon to increase production of Standard Missiles in the location by 50% and support Washington in refilling stockpiles after recent operations have depleted the Pentagon’s reserves.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Connect with us on socials
