Littoral Combat Ship Class - LCS

Freedom Variant

The Freedom Variant of the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) class is a high-speed, agile, shallow-draft and networked surface ship. The LCS 1 and follow-on ships (LCS 3, LCS 5, LCS 7, etc.) are open-ocean capable, but are designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal water battlespace. A fast, maneuverable and networked surface combatant, LCS provides the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to accomplish critical warfighting missions, including mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare with inherent capabilities that also support missions such as special operations and maritime interdiction.

The LCS delivers combat capability from core self-defense systems in concert with rapidly interchangeable, modular mission packages and an open architecture command and control system. The LCS aviation facilities and watercraft launch-and-recovery capability support focusedmission packages outfitted with both manned and unmanned air, surface, and sub-surface vehicles. Reconfigurable spaces and weapons modules provide support service interfaces between mission package weapons, sensors and vehicles and the seaframe. Modularity maximizes the flexibility of LCS and enables commanders to meet changing warfare needs, while also supporting faster, easier technological updates. The LCS will be networked to share tactical information with aircraft, ships, submarines, joint and coalition units both at sea and on shore, and with LCS operating groups.

The Rolls Royce MT30 gas turbines on the Freedom variant are the largest of any surface combatant in the U.S. Navy. The flight deck is larger than those on U.S. Navy guided missile frigates, destroyers, and cruisers.

USS Sioux City (LCS-11) Littoral Combat Ship (LCS ...

The mono-hulled class is being built alongside the Independence-class, which varies in its use of a trimaran hull design, and both will used to fulfill the "littoral combat ship" role, operating close-to-shore in support of marine, navy and land units. USS Sioux Falls (LCS-11) is one of their number and her keel was laid down on February 19th ...

ANNAPOLIS, Md., Nov. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Navy commissioned USS Sioux City (LCS 11) – the nation's sixth Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) – at the United States Naval Academy today. This milestone places the ship, built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), into active service.

Unique among combat ships, LCS is designed to complete close-to-shore missions and is a growing and relevant part of the Navy's fleet.

Sioux City LCS-11 in Key West, Florida April 17-19, 2019