Key Points
- USS Fort Worth achieves its three primary deployment objectives
- Lessons continue to be learned, both from Fort Worth's own deployment as well as that of sister Freedom-variant LCS USS Freedom
The US Navy's (USN's) Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth has met all three of its primary deployment objectives as it passed the 12-month mark of its scheduled 16-month mission, a senior USN officer told IHS Jane's .
Talking to IHS Jane's on 30 November in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Rear Admiral Charles Williams, the commander of Logistics Group Western Pacific (COMLOG WESTPAC) and Combined Task Force 73, stated that three distinct objectives had been set for the ship's deployment. The first was to 'operationalise' the ship in every possible way. "That includes everything from mission sets to ensuring the reliability of the ship and treating USS Fort Worth like any other 7 th Fleet deployment," Rear Adm Williams said. The second was to execute the expeditionary maintenance philosophy - namely, to conduct routine maintenance phases for Fort Worth away from its Singapore base. Third, the USN was seeking to expand the operational reach of the LCS.
"Those three objectives have been achieved during USS Fort Worth 's deployment" said Rear Adm Williams. "For example, in regard to expeditionary maintenance, we did just that by conducting a routine maintenance availability in Sasebo, Japan which allowed us to deploy Fort Worth forward to [South] Korea for Exercise 'Foal Eagle' and then conduct the maintenance in Sasebo instead of requiring the ship to return to Singapore." He added that in 2016, the latter concept would be further expanded with the use of the Expeditionary Fast Transport USNS Millinocket to transport the expeditionary maintenance capability equipment that would then allow Fort Worth to conduct its maintenance alongside Millinocket . The initial trial of this capability is scheduled in Singapore for the first quarter of 2016.
Want to read more? For analysis on this article and access to all our insight content, please enquire about our subscription options ihs.com/contact
