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USS Freedom (LCS 1) Completes Industrial Post-Delivery Availability

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS090917-14
Release Date: 9/17/2009 3:36:00 PM

From Program Executive Office for Ships Communications

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- USS Freedom (LCS 1) completed its second industrial post-delivery availability (IPDA) at Colonna's Shipyard in Norfolk, Va. Sept. 8.

The two-month IPDA was a planned event in Freedom's post-delivery period that offered an opportunity to complete the installation of the needed components not installed during construction. The ship underwent a similar shipyard period earlier this year. During the availability, the ship implemented launch recovery and handling system improvements; completed installation of commercial broadband satellite program systems; received magazine certification and completed navigation and combat system alignment.

"USS Freedom continues to meet or exceed our expectations," said Capt. Jim Murdoch, LCS program manager within the Navy's Program Executive Office, Ships (PEO Ships). "We are looking forward to completing the remaining tests and trials and to getting this ship into the hands of warfighters."

LCS 1 is currently undergoing its post-delivery test and trials period, intended to fully examine the ship's performance and allow the crew to become familiar with and exercise the ship's systems. Following the recently completed shipyard availability, the ship will begin conducting test firing exercises of the 57mm gun, RAM missiles, 30mm gun mission module, as well as navigation and identification friend-or-foe certification.

LCS is a new breed of U.S. Navy warship with versatile warfighting capabilities, capable of open-ocean operation but optimized for littoral, or coastal, missions. Operational experience and analyses indicate that potential adversaries will employ asymmetric means to deny U.S. and allied forces access into critical coastal regions, such as strategic chokepoints and vital economic sea lanes. LCS is specifically designed to defeat such "anti-access" threats, which include fast surface craft, quiet diesel submarines and various types of mines.

PEO Ships is currently managing the design and construction of 21 major surface ships and a wide range of small boats and craft. Since its creation in November 2002, PEO Ships has delivered 35 major warships and hundreds of small boats and craft from more than 20 shipyards and boat builders across the United States. PEO Ships is committed to affordable and efficient shipbuilding and is focused on the necessity of getting ships into serial production, which is leading to significant cost and schedule reductions across the shipbuilding portfolio.