MARINETTE,
Wisconsin — The future USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) successfully concluded its
acceptance trial Sept. 18, after completing a series of in-port and underway
demonstrations for the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV).
The
acceptance trial is the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship
to the Navy, which is planned for October. During the five-day trial, the Navy
conducted comprehensive tests of the installed systems.
“What
a ride,” said LCS program manager Capt. Tom Anderson. “The weather on Lake
Michigan during the conduct of this trial was not pleasant. Despite the high
sea state, Milwaukee crisply executed the schedule of events and received some
of the highest demonstration scores to date for the LCS class. Milwaukee lives
up to her namesake city in both her tenacity and strength."
While
underway the ship performed launch and recovery operations of the 11-meter
rigid-hull inflatable boat, a four-hour full power run, surface and air
self-defense detect-to-engage exercises, and demonstrated the ship's
maneuverability performing tight turns and full-power quick reversal.
Following
her commissioning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in November, the ship will prepare
for full ship shock trials to be held in the Atlantic Ocean in 2016. She will
then sail to California to be homeported in San Diego with sister ships USS
Freedom (LCS 1), USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) and USS
Coronado (LCS 4).
LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship, with three
types of mission packages including surface warfare, mine countermeasures, and
anti-submarine warfare. The Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships (PEO
LCS) is responsible for delivering and sustaining littoral mission capabilities
to the fleet. Delivering high-quality warfighting assets while balancing
affordability and capability is key to supporting the nation's maritime
strategy.