The ships of the LCS project became the second largest in the American fleet after the Arleigh Burke-type destroyers. Yesterday, June 29, Austal USA officially handed over the USS Savannah to the US Navy.
On May 14, the USS Savannah successfully completed acceptance tests in the Gulf of Mexico, which was the last stage of testing the ship before its transfer to the US Navy. Savannah became the 14th Independence-class ship in the US Navy. In addition, the US Navy receives ships of the LCS project of the Freedom type.
The ship USS Savannah
Image source: austal.com
The ships of the coastal zone LCS (Littoral Combat Ships), or the so-called "green" fleet, are among the most controversial in the US Navy. On the one hand, these are excellent high-speed ships with high autonomy, on the other, they are called "insufficiently armed for high-intensity conflicts". However, this is not surprising, since these combat units were designed and built to protect the American coast.
LCS is an American program for the creation of coastal warships (littoral ships). As part of this program, the US Navy purchases two types of ships: LCS-1 Freedom manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation and LCS-2 Independence, which are assembled by Austal USA. Both ships have similar characteristics and weapons, but they differ significantly in the type of hull. By 2030, the US Navy plans to receive about 60 ships of two types for service.
Top view of the Independence trimaran
Image source: usni.org
The length of the ships of the LCS-1 Freedom type is 115 m, width-17.5 m, draft-3.7 m, displacement-3500 tons. The ships can reach speeds of up to 45 knots (83 km / h) and stay at sea for 21 days, covering a distance of up to 6,500 km. Depending on the tasks performed, the crew of each of the ships can consist of 15, 50 or 75 people. The ships of the LCS-1 Freedom type are armed with 57-mm Mk 110 automatic cannons, RIM-116 anti-aircraft missiles, Mark 50 torpedoes, as well as NETFIRES PAM surface-to-surface missiles. In addition, each of the ships has a platform and a hangar for two MH-60R/S Seahawks helicopters and a Q-8 Fire Scout drone.
The place of the LCS project ships in the protection of the American coast
Image source: usni.org
According to the type of hull, the ships of the LCS-2 Independence type are trimarans and are considered one of the largest in the world in their class. The length of each ship is 127.4 m, width-31.6 m, draft-4.3 m, displacement - from 2300 to 3100 tons. The trimaran can reach a speed of 47 knots (87 km/h) and overcome up to 8000 km without refueling. Each of the ships is armed with a 57-mm artillery piece, four 12.7 mm machine guns and a launcher with eleven Evolved SeaRAM missiles. In addition, on their decks there is a platform and a hangar for two MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters and an MQ-8 Fire Scout drone.
