Future Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Detroit (LCS 7) Completes Acceptance Trial

: Posted On Saturday, 23 July 2016 10:49

Naval Forces News - USA

Future Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Detroit (LCS 7) Completes Acceptance Trial

The future USS Detroit (LCS 7) successfully concluded its acceptance trial July 15 after completing a series of graded in-port and underway demonstrations for the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV).

LCS 7, the future USS Detroit, is the fourth Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship and the 7th in the class. It is designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal water battlespace. A fast, maneuverable surface combatant, the LCS provides warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility for focused missions including mine-clearing, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare. Picture: Lockheed Martin

The acceptance trial is the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship to the Navy, which is planned for later this fall. During the trial, the Navy conducted comprehensive tests of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) intended to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship handling and auxiliary systems. While underway, the ship successfully performed launch and recovery operations of the 11-meter rigid-hull inflatable boat, conducted surface and air self-defense detect-to-engage exercises, and demonstrated the ship's maneuverability.

"Another thorough trial by the Board of Inspection and Survey, and another ship with improved scores and at a lower cost than her predecessor," said LCS program manager Capt. Tom Anderson. "Detroit's performance during acceptance trial is a testament to the hard work of the Marinette workforce. I look forward to placing the ship in the capable hands of her crew later this summer."

Following delivery and commissioning in its namesake city of Detroit, Michigan, LCS 7 will sail to California to be homeported in San Diego, California with sister ships USS Freedom (LCS 1), USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) and USS Milwaukee (LCS 5).

Video: Lockheed Martin

Several more Freedom variants are under construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corp. in Marinette, Wisconsin: The future USS Little Rock (LCS 9) is preparing for Builder's Trials in 2016. Christened in January 2016, Sioux City (LCS 11) is currently conducting system testing in preparation for trials in 2017. The future USS Wichita (LCS 13) is preparing for launch in the fall. Meanwhile Billings (LCS 15) laid her keel in November 2015 and sister ship Indianapolis (LCS 17), which started fabrication in August 2015, is preparing to lay her keel in July 2016. Additional ships in the pre-production phase include St. Louis (LCS 19), Minneapolis St. Paul (LCS 21), Cooperstown (LCS 23) and to-be-named LCS 25.

The LCS’s modular design and affordable price achieves increased capacity and capability so the Navy can provide presence where and when needed, with a level of force that will deter and defeat threats. USS Freedom and USS Fort Worth have demonstrated the Freedom-variant’s value to the fleet with two successful operational deployments to Southeast Asia, sailing more than 180,000 combined nautical miles since delivery.

The Freedom-variant’s steel monohull design is based on a proven, survivable design recognized for its stability and reliability. With 40 percent reconfigurable shipboard space, the hull is ideally suited to accommodate additional lethality and survivability upgrades.

Link to Freedom class LCS technical datasheet