Advancing the formation of its Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) fleet, the U.S. Navy is preparing to commission the USS Beloit (LCS 29), the second-to-last ship in the series built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine. The commissioning ceremony is scheduled for November 23 in the state of Wisconsin.
Regarding the ship itself, the USS Beloit is named after the city of Beloit, Wisconsin, home to the Fairbanks Morse plant, which has supplied engines for various U.S. Navy ships. Once officially commissioned, under the sponsorship of retired U.S. Army Major General Marcia M. Anderson, the vessel will set sail for its homeport at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida.
With this, the Freedom-class fleet will be just one step away from completion, though it has seemingly lost favor with the U.S. Navy due to various issues that have plagued its development. Like the Independence-class, the Freedom-class ships never fully convinced the Navy regarding their design. This is not surprising given the numerous technical challenges, the lack of significant combat capabilities, and the evolving environments in which these ships were intended to operate, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.
It’s worth noting that the U.S. Navy has already announced plans to sell decommissioned ships from both classes to other countries through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. However, considering the aforementioned issues and the high operational costs, it is unlikely that these ships will attract significant interest from potential buyers.
Among the technical issues plaguing the Freedom-class, the most notable is the problem with the transmission system. This issue led the U.S. Navy to activate a contractual mechanism that allowed for the suspension of ship deliveries until the problem was resolved, initiating a repair process for affected vessels. As of early this month, seven ships have undergone the necessary changes to ensure proper functionality, with an equivalent number of ships still in service awaiting the same repairs.
Images used for illustrative purposes
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