The US Navy’s Freedom-class littoral combat ship, the future USS Sioux City (LCS 11), has concluded its acceptance trials, which marks the completion of the final major milestone prior to its delivery.
The tests comprised several graded in-port and underway demonstrations that were carried out on the Great Lakes for the US Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV).
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A series of comprehensive tests were also conducted by the navy as part of the initiative in order to demonstrate the operational capability of the ship’s propulsion plant, ship handling and auxiliary systems.
LCS programme manager captain Mike Taylor said: “The successful completion of this acceptance trial is an important step in the life of the future USS Sioux City.
“I look forward to the next phase of Sioux City’s journey when she is delivered to the navy this summer.”
USS Sioux City is expected to travel to Florida to be homeported in Mayport following the completion of its delivery and commissioning in Annapolis, Maryland.
The LCS will join the other vessels of its class, namely USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), USS Detroit (LCS 7) and USS Little Rock (LCS 9).
USS Sioux City is the US Navy’s 11th LCS and is the sixth vessel in the Freedom class.
The keel for the ship was originally laid on 19 February 2014. It was subsequently launched and christened on 30 January 2016.
LCS units are modular, reconfigurable vessels that have been specifically designed to meet the navy’s validated fleet requirements for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral region.
A total of eight more Freedom-class vessels are currently being constructed at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine facility in Marinette, Wisconsin.
