At the end of September, the United States Navy received the Littoral Combat Ship USS Beloit (LCS 29) at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin. This is the second-to-last unit of the Freedom class and the twenty-ninth of the troubled Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) incorporated by the force.
During the launching ceremony held on May 7, 2022, USS Beloit underwent acceptance trials in August 2024, where U.S. Navy officials thoroughly evaluated the systems of LCS 29 across multiple essential functional areas for its deployment at sea, including combat systems, main propulsion, auxiliary, and electrical systems. Regarding the next steps for the littoral combat ship, it remains to continue with post-delivery certifications and qualifications to prepare the vessel for fleet operations.
The Freedom variant Littoral Combat Ships are resilient and flexible warships, designed from the keel up to assume new capabilities affordably, incorporating advanced sensors, missiles, and cutting-edge cyber systems. Their speed, strength, and versatility make them a crucial tool to assist sailors in accomplishing their missions. Smaller than previous classes, they were designed to operate in fast surface conditions, with an optimal crew and mission adaptability, capable of operating in both nearshore and open sea environments to address 21st-century coastal threats.
However, over the years, ships of this class have faced significant issues, particularly related to transmission system failures. In response to these, the Navy implemented a “contractual mechanism” that allowed them to declare this problem as a “latent defect,” holding the shipbuilder accountable for the corrections. As a result, the delivery of new ships was halted until a solution for the gear issue was found.
So far, seven ships have been repaired or received upgraded equipment during construction. The first to receive the solution was the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul in 2021, followed by the USS Cooperstown in 2022. Other ships, such as the USS Sioux City, USS St. Louis, USS Marinette, USS Nantucket, and the future USS Cleveland, have also been corrected or are in the process.
There are still seven ships in active service and one in outfitting that need repairs to operate without restrictions. This set of actions aims to ensure that Freedom-class ships can perform their functions without the issues that have affected their performance so far. Following Beloit, the future USS Cleveland (LCS 31), the last LCS of the Freedom variant, is in the final stages of construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, with delivery expected in 2025.
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