USN primes latest LCS for commissioning
The 19th Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) for the USN, the future USS St Louis (LCS 19), will be commissioned in Mayport, Florida on 9 August having completed acceptance trials.
St Louis is the tenth Freedom-class LCS designed, built and delivered by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine. It was delivered to the USN in February.
St Louis will undertake MCM and other surface missions as well as ASW.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, standard LCS armament includes the Mk 110 57mm gun and Mk 49 Rolling Airframe Missile launcher, with the addition of two 30mm Mk44 Bushmaster II guns and AGM-114L Hellfire missiles in the surface warfare module.
The crew will total about 75 when including a mission package. There is also room for an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter or two MQ-8C FireScout UAVs.
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