US Navy commissions USS Manchester
The US Navy commissioned the Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Manchester, at the State Pier in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on 26 May.
The USS Manchester is the 12th LCS to enter the fleet and the seventh of the Independence-variant design. The Independence-variant ships are designed and built by a team led by Austal USA.
Twenty-nine LCS ships have been awarded to date, of which 13 have been delivered to the navy, another 13 are in various stages of construction and testing and three are in pre-production states.
More from Naval Warfare
-
How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base
Extending far beyond a four-submarine replacement programme, France’s ballistic missile submarine effort is a decades-long industrial effort designed to preserve the country’s ability to build and sustain nuclear-powered strategic platforms.
-
China’s mineral processing dominance exposes naval supply chain vulnerabilities
Competition for critical minerals, and China’s dominance of their processing, is emerging as a decisive factor in future naval procurement programmes.
-
Suppliers await next step in Australia’s mine warfare transition
Australia’s mine countermeasure capability remains in flux as the Huon-class nears retirement, but accelerated investment in autonomous systems is opening a path for industry.
-
Can the US Navy ask Indo-Pacific allies to do more while training with them less?
As the Iran War draws US ships and marine corps units away from the Indo-Pacific, curtailed exercises and a temporary carrier gap are exposing tensions between Washington’s demand for more self-reliant allies and the joint training needed to realise that ambition.
-
How could Rheinmetall’s GMF 140 fit with ongoing programmes in North America?
With Canada committed to its River-class replacement and the USN pursuing a lower-cost frigate, Rheinmetall will need to demonstrate where the GMF 140 can fill a capability gap in the North American fleet.