US Navy retires USS Coronado
The view from USS Coronado in happier times. (Photo: USN/Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kaleb Staples)
The Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado was decommissioned on 14 September after a short service life.
The USN on 14 September decommissioned the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Coronado — just eight years after it entered service.
A ceremony was held at the USN base in San Diego, California.
Coronado was one of 14 Independence-variant LCS vessels built by Austal USA and General Dynamics for the USN.
As noted by Shephard Defence Insight, massive cost increases and delays and the failure of LCSs to meet performance expectations prompted the USN to curtail the construction programme.
Instead, the USN is pinning faith in the Constellation-class frigate programme.
The original intention of the DoD was to retire three more LCSs: the Freedom-class USS Fort Worth, USS Detroit and USS Little Rock.
However, this plan was blocked in mid-2021 by Congress when it marked up the Biden administration’s FY2022 budget proposal, burdening the USN with three vessels it does not want in frontline service.
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