First-in-class USS Freedom. USS Nantucket is the 14th vessel in the Freedom class.
The USN will officially christen its newest Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Nantucket (LCS 27), on 7 August in a ceremony at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine facility in Wisconsin.
Construction of the vessel, the 14th Freedom-class LCS out of 16 planned, began in October 2019.
LCS 29 was laid down on 22 July 2020 and is the 15th Freedom-class vessel. LCS 31 the future USS Cleveland was laid down on 18 June 2021 as final ship of its type.
The Freedom-class vessels displace about 3,900t and are 115m-long with a beam of 17.5m and a draught of 3.9m. Powered by two MT30 gas turbines, four Isotta Fraschini V1708 diesel engines and two Colt-Pielstick 16PA6B diesel engines, the ships are capable of a top speed of 47kt with a range of 4,300nmi.
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.
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