USS Independence (LCS-2)

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Career
USS Independence (LCS-2) concept art
Ordered:	14 October 2005
Laid down:	19 January 2006
Launched:
Commissioned:
Fate:	Under construction in US by Navy, unassigned to fleet
General Characteristics
Displacement:	2176 tons light, 2784 tons full, 608 tons dead, mission payload 210 tonnes
Length:	127.4 meters (417 feet)
Beam:	31.6 meters (104 feet)
Draft:	4.5 meters (14.76 feet)
Propulsion:	2 Gas Turbines, 2 Diesel, 4 waterjets, retractable Azimuth thruster, 4 diesel generators
Speed:	40+ knots, 47 knots sprint
Range:	4,500 NM
Armament:	Retractable mine detection sonar 57 mm Bofors gun turret 4 50 cal gun (2 aft, 2 forward 3 SRBOC rapid bloom chaff launchers 2 Nulka missile decoy launchers 2 torpedo decoy launchers Rolling Airframe Missile 21 missile launcher Mission modules 2 SH-60 helicopters with OTH search radar, antisubmarine and antiship missiles and torpedoes. 2 x 32 missile Vertical Launch System on side of bridge 2 x 4 RGM-84 Harpoon missile launcher forward of bridge 2 x 20 mm Phalanx CIWS gatling gun 3 tube ASW Mark 46 torpedo launchers P/S Towed Array Sonar Phased Array Radar
Motto:

For other ships going by the same name, see USS Independence.

USS Independence (LCS-2), the class prototype for the Independence-class littoral combat ship, will be the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the concept of independence. It is the design competitor produced by the General Dynamics consortium, in competition with the Lockheed Martin-designed Freedom class littoral combat ship.

The contract to build her was awarded to Austal USA of Mobile, Alabama, on 14 October 2005 and her keel was laid down on 19 January 2006.

[edit] Description

The General Dynamics Bath Iron works design is based on a high-speed trimaran hull proven by the Austal (Henderson, Australia) hull that is currently operating at sea. It requires only a crew of fewer than 40 sailors. The trimaran hull enables the ship to reach sustainable speeds of nearly 50 knots and range as far as 10,000 nautical miles.

The first trimaran LCS, INDEPENDENCE (LCS 2), is under construction at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama. The 127-meter surface combatant ship is scheduled for delivery to the Navy in July 2009, with the original contract was awarded in July 2003. ^[1]

It is designed with twice the objective payload and volume, with 11,000 cubic meters of payload volume, so that it can carry out one mission while a separate mission module is in reserve. The large flight deck will support operation of two SH-60 helicopters, unmanned vehicles, or large H-53 class helicopters. The stable trimaran hull will allow flight operations in high sea conditions.

The first hull has been named Independence LCS-2. Fixed core capabilities will be carried for self-defense and command and control. But unlike traditional fighting ships with fixed armament such as guns and missiles, innovative and tailored mission modules will be used for specific mission duties, and configured for one mission package at a time. Models may consist of manned aircraft, unmanned vehicles, off-board sensors, or mission-manning detachments, in an expandable open-systems architecture.

The design has an off-board vehicle launch and recovery system the tail for raising and lowering small boats and watercraft. The flight deck is 1,030 sq m for 2 H-60 or 1 H-53. The hangar is 351 sq m for 2 SH-60 helicopters.

The large interior volume and payload is much greater than larger destroyers. It is sufficient to serve as a high-speed transport and maneuver platform. The mission bay is 11,800 square feet, and takes up most of the deck below the hangar and 11,100 sf flight deck. In addition to cargo or container sized mission modules, the bay can carry four lanes of multiple Strykers, armored Humvees, and their associated troops. An elevator allows air tranport of TEU-sized packages that can be moved into the mission bay while at sea. A side access ramp allows for vehicle roll-on/roll-off loading to a dock. The habitability area is under the bridge with bunks for many personell.

The bow contains retractable mine detection sonar. A BAE Mk. 110 57mm/70 gun (Bofors 57mm) is mounted on the bow. 3 SRBOC chaff and IR countermeasure launchers and 2 Nulka decoy launchers are mounted port and starboard. The Nulka is a hovering rocket decoy which attracts anti-ship missiles. 2 torpedo decoy launchers are mounted P/S aft, supplemented by the British-designed Surface Ship Torpedo Defence (SSTD) system. A 21-cell Rolling Airframe Missile launcher is mounted above the hangar for short-range defense against missiles, aircraft and small boats or ships.

It has an intgrated LOS Mast, Sea Giraffe Radar and SeaFLIR. Side and forward surfaces are angled for reduced radar profile. In addition, H-60 series helicopters provide airlift, rescue, anti-submarine, radar picket and anti-ship capabilities with torpedoes and missles. The ship is not designed as a base for AV-8B Harrier jets or the V-22, but the flight deck is large enough to hold them.