Navy's Second Littoral Combat Ship to be Commissioned
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS100108-13
Release Date: 1/8/2010 10:41:00 PM
By Lt.j.g. Jan Bowers, Surface Force Public Affairs
Mobile, Ala. (NNS) -- USS Independence (LCS 2) will be commissioned Jan. 16 at a ceremony in Mobile, Ala.
Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a fast, agile, mission-focused ship that demonstrates the latest in naval warfighting technology. The ship is specifically designed to defeat "anti-access" threats in shallow, coastal water regions, including fast surface craft, quiet diesel submarines and mines. To meet the combatant commander's increased demand for mission-tailored forces packages, LCS features an interchangeable modular design that allows the ship to be reconfigured to meet mission requirements.
"The ship is large enough and flexible enough to hold just about anything you could think of in terms of coastal and littoral warfare," says Cmdr. Michael Riley, commanding officer, Gold Crew. "If you build modules we could carry them. That's one of the true unique things about Independence. I think we are going to expand way beyond the initial three mission sets the ship was designed to do, and of course do those extremely well."
Independence is a 419-foot aluminum trimaran, the first of its design in the Surface Fleet. It has a displacement of 2,800 metric tons, is capable of speeds in excess of 45 knots, and can operate in water less than 20 feet deep. Propelled by four water jets in addition to two diesel and two gas turbine engines, the ship boasts a range of over 3,500 nautical miles.
Independence was christened by Mrs. Doreen Scott, wife of the 10th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Terry Scott, in a ceremony in Mobile, Ala. on Oct. 4, 2008. The ship completed builder's sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico, and was delivered to the Navy on Dec. 18, 2009.
"There are a lot of roles this ship can play to complement the ships we already have," says Cmdr. Curt Renshaw, commanding officer, Blue Crew. "Other ships might have more firepower, but lack the speed of LCS. Other carry more and have a larger flight deck, but cannot defend themselves as well. LCS fills that niche."
The Sailors who will bring the ship to life on Jan. 16 are part of an innovative manning reconstruct that reduces crew size, demanding each Sailor maintain high levels of proficiency in multiple fields, and optimizes ship operability with multiple crews. Independence is manned by two rotational crews, "blue" and "gold," of 40 Sailors each. These crews are further augmented by detachment specialists for each of the mission modules.
The rotational crew model is already proving effective aboard USS Freedom (LCS 1), Independence's predecessor in the LCS class. Freedom is currently readying for her maiden deployment, accelerated approximately two years. The Navy expects to learn key operational lessons about Freedom in a deployment setting, and to integrate those lessons into the larger LCS fleet, projected to eventually reach 55 ships.
While Freedom prepares for early deployment, Independence looks forward to commissioning. The decision to commission the ship in Mobile, Ala., where construction began nearly four years ago, is testament to the incredible support the community has lent the Navy.
"By commissioning in Mobile," says Renshaw, "we are also fortunate to have many of the required resources in place to allow for detailed and efficient planning for this exciting occasion."
"The city of Mobile has really made us feel welcome," adds Riley. "I want to extend my gratitude for everything they have been doing and continue to do for us."
Following commissioning, Independence will conduct further testing and evaluation before eventually heading toward its homeport in San Diego.
For more news from PCU Independence (LCS 2), visit www.navy.mil/local/LCS2/.
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