Article Posted on : - Jul 29, 2011

LCS 3, USS Fort Worth was launched on Dec, 3, 2010. A Lockheed photo

MARINETTE (BNS): Lockheed Martin-built Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth is gearing up for sea trials this fall ahead of its delivery to the US Navy in 2012.

The ship, the third LCS for the US Navy and the second of the Freedom series of ships being built by Lockheed, is now more than 93 percent complete.

Builder and acceptance trials are scheduled early this fall in advance of delivering the ship to the US Navy in early 2012, the ship’s builder said.

The US Navy had christened the 389-foot warship in December 2010.

The Lockheed team completed light-off of the ship’s diesel generators this May and light-off of the main engines and rolling the propulsion shafts this month.

USS Fort Worth will be a platform for the launch and recovery of manned and unmanned vehicles. Its modular design will support interchangeable mission packages, which will allow the ship to be reconfigured for antisubmarine warfare, mine countermeasures or surface warfare missions.

Meanwhile, LCS 1 USS Freedom, built by Lockheed, has completed preparations for upcoming final contractor trials.

The trials include testing of the surface warfare mission package and the deck landing qualifications of the MH-60R ‘Romeo’ helicopter to ensure safe and reliable interoperability between the aircraft and ship.

Since its commissioning in 2008, the ship has sailed 55,000 nautical miles, according to Lockheed.

The LCS is envisioned to be a versatile, networked, agile, surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals. It will serve to enhance maritime security by deterring hostility in troubled waters, maintaining a forward presence and by its ability to project power and maintain sea control.

The US Navy intends to procure a total of 55 Littoral Combat Ships for multi-mission support.