Littoral Combat Ship prepares for testing

As readers know, the US Navy has been working on the design of a new small combat ship, known as the Littoral Combat Ship, for several years. Two prototypes have been built, one each by a consortium headed by Lockheed Martin and another headed by General Dynamics.

The latter prototype, USS Independence, is currently preparing for another round of testing, in competition with USS Freedom, the other consortium's design. Some new photographs have been released, showing USS Independence at sea. Her trimaran hull is clearly evident.








I can't help but notice how big the flight deck is on this prototype. One could conceivably operate multiple large helicopters from it, even if there isn't hangar space aboard. They could fly in from a Marine assault ship or aircraft carrier over the horizon, 'staging' aboard the LCS to refuel, or to land casualties for urgent medical attention. Who knows? If the F-35B (the short-take-off and vertical-landing version of the Joint Strike Fighter) demonstrates the ability to take off vertically with light loads of munitions, it, too, might operate off such a deck in an emergency.

USS Freedom is of much more conventional design, with a smaller flight deck, as this photograph shows.




It'll be interesting to see whether USS Independence's radical new shape stands up to the rigors of the trials ahead.

Peter