Future USS Sioux City completes acceptance trials
The acceptance trials of the US Navy’s sixth Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Sioux City, have been completed in the waters of Lake Michigan.
The ship, built by the Lockheed Martin-led industry team, is slated for delivery to the US Navy later in summer 2018.
During the trials, major systems and features of the ship, including aviation support, small boat launch handling and ride control systems, were demonstrated. The trails also included surface and air detect-to-engage demonstrations of the ship’s combat system.
The next freedom-variant in the class is the future USS Wichita. This vessel is expected to complete acceptance trials in early summer with delivery before the end of 2018.
More from Naval Warfare
-
Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?
Payload commonality, combat systems and electronic warfare are emerging as likely priorities as the trilateral partnership balances building submarines with sharing industrial ecosystems.
-
From the Baltic to the Gulf: where USV procurement is heading next
Saildrone’s new Copenhagen base is one sign of a larger shift, as navies globally turn to uncrewed vessels for surveillance and mine clearance.
-
Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage
As AI dominates defence conversations, industry increasingly points to quantum sensing as the technology set to change submarine and uncrewed underwater vehicle operations.