USS Independence (LCS-2)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Independence.

USS Independence at Key West on 29 March 2010
History
United States
NameIndependence
NamesakeIndependence
Awarded14 October 2005[1]
BuilderAustal USA[1]
Laid down19 January 2006[1]
Launched26 April 2008[1]
Christened4 October 2008
Commissioned16 January 2010[2]
Decommissioned29 July 2021[3]
HomeportSan Diego[1]
IdentificationHull number: LCS-2
Motto
  • Libertas Per Laborum Audentium
  • (Independence Through Bold Action)
StatusDecommissioned
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeIndependence-class littoral combat ship
Displacement
  • 2,271 long tons (2,307 t) light
  • 3,055 long tons (3,104 t) full
  • 784 long tons (797 t) deadweight[1]
Length128.4 m (421 ft)[1]
Beam31.6 m (104 ft)[1]
Draft14 ft (4.27 m)[1]
Propulsion2× MTU Friedrichshafen 20V 8000 Series diesel engines, 2× General Electric LM2500 gas turbines,[4] 2× American VULKAN light weight multiple-section carbon fiber propulsion shaft lines, 4× Wärtsilä waterjets,[5] retractable bow-mounted azimuth thruster, 4× diesel generators
Speed44 knots (51 mph; 81 km/h)[6]
Range4,300 nm at 18 knots[7]
Capacity210 t (210 long tons; 230 short tons)
Complement43 core crew (11 officers, 32 enlisted) plus up to 35 mission crew
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carried

USS Independence (LCS-2) is the lead ship of the Independence-class of littoral combat ships. She is the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the concept of independence. The design was produced by the General Dynamics consortium for the Navy's LCS program, and competes with the Lockheed Martin–designed Freedom variant.[10]

Independence, delivered to the Navy at the end of 2009, was a high-speed, small-crew corvette, although the U.S. Navy does not use the term, intended to operate littoral waters. She can swap out various systems to take on various missions, including finding and destroying mines, hunting submarines in and near shallow water, and fighting small boats (she is not intended to fight warships). The ship is a trimaran design with a wide beam above the waterline that supports a larger flight deck than those of the Navy's much larger destroyers and cruisers, as well as a large hangar and a similarly large mission bay below. The trimaran hull also exhibits low hydrodynamic drag, allowing efficient operation on two diesel-powered water jets at speeds up to 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), and high-speed operation on two gas turbine–powered water jets at a sustainable 44 knots (81 km/h; 51 mph) and even faster for short periods.

On 29 July 2021, the Navy decommissioned Independence during a private ceremony at Naval Base San Diego, California.[3]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Independence". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  2. ^ Shalal-Esa, Andrea (16 January 2009). "US Navy commissions newest warship, others coming". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 May 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference distinguished was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "GE and U.S. Navy Celebrate 40th Operating Anniversary of LM2500 Gas Turbine" (Press release). GE Aviation. 27 October 2009. Archived from the original on 11 December 2010. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  5. ^ Thompson, Jason (1 February 2010). "USS Independence LCS-2 – GE LM2500 Gas Turbines". Diesel Power. Archived from the original on 13 November 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  6. ^ Sharp, David (22 October 2009). "Navy's newest warships top out at more than 50 mph". KOMO News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  7. ^ Reilly, Sean (4 April 2010). "In high-stakes LCS competition, disagreement on how to rank the best deal". AL.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) High-Speed Surface Ship". naval-technology.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  9. ^ "GDLCS Media Center". Austal General Dynamics Dynamics. Archived from the original on 1 May 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  10. ^ "US Navy Fact File: Littoral Combat Ship Class – LCS". US Navy. Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.