The U.S. Navy is busily preparing for the early deployment of the first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the Lockheed Martin-built Freedom.

Capt. Michael Taylor, commander of the LCS class squadron, told reporters Dec. 4 that predeployment preparations have gone "extremely well." Last summer, discussions started on "what it would take to get Freedom ready to deploy early," Taylor said. At that point, two years of testing was still anticipated to account for all the new equipment onboard. Combat system and hull testing, mission package testing and crew training, along with numerous other elements, were mapped out by the LCS team to get the ship ready.

Freedom is off the Virginia coast finishing testing prior to a four-week availability that will run through mid-January. The ship will deploy with a surface warfare (SUW) mission module and a maritime security package. The SUW module will have two 30mm guns, but is not yet fully equipped with a Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System, which will be in a future spiral of the package.

The first mine countermeasures and anti-submarine warfare mission modules have been delivered to the Navy, but Taylor said he cannot predict when, or on which subsequent LCS, those will be deployed.

"At this point it's hard to speculate on what that requirement will be," he said. "Our plan is to go through testing for the mission packages to ensure they all work from a development and operational testing standpoint."

Photo: US Navy