As the construction of the Independence-class nears completion, the U.S. Navy commissioned the Littoral Combat Ship USS Kingsville (LCS 36) in a ceremony held on the 24th of this month at the Solomon P. Ortiz Center, attended by naval authorities.
This vessel is the 18th unit of the Independence-class and the second-to-last of this model. With the commissioning of this unit, only the completion of USS Pierre (LCS 38) remains. During one of the speeches, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Financial Management and Comptroller, the Honorable Russell Rumbaugh, stated, “This ship will provide maritime security in every one of our fleet’s operations. At the Department of the Navy, we are proud of the Littoral Combat Ships.”
It is worth noting that the U.S. Navy currently has a total of 17 Independence-class LCS vessels in service (or soon to be), complemented by 13 Freedom-class ships manufactured by Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corporation in Wisconsin.
Throughout their operational lives, both classes have faced considerable technical challenges, leading to the retirement of several units. For the Freedom-class, two ships have already been decommissioned (with six more on the way), while for the Independence-class, two have also been retired, with two more expected to be retired this year and sold abroad.
In this regard, the USS Independence (LCS-2), the lead ship of the class, and the USS Coronado (LCS-4) have already been placed in reserve by the U.S. Navy, while the USS Jackson (LCS-6) and USS Montgomery (LCS-8) are slated for decommissioning this year, with plans to offer them to other forces through the FMS program.
Among the main issues encountered during their service, at least six ships of the class had significant structural defects that led to cracks in their hulls. Additionally, the entire class suffers from transmission system problems, which resulted in performance limitations during various missions, such as restricting maximum speed (with a prohibition on sailing at more than 15 knots).
*Image credits: U.S. Navy
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