Navy Completes Next Phase of Surface Warfare Mission Package Operational Testing on LCS 4

PORT HUENEME, Calif. - The Navy announced that USS Coronado (LCS 4) and the second increment of the surface warfare mission package (SUW MP) completed Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) phase one recently off the coast of California.

This is the initial operational test for the Independence variant of the littoral combat ship (LCS) and the SUW MP increment two on this variant.

"The ship performed well during the course of all of the events," said Cmdr. Peter Kim, Coronado's commanding officer. "This is a platform the Navy can be proud of, and one which will certainly add combat capability and depth to the fleet."

Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships (PEO LCS), together with Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force (COMOPTEVFOR), coordinated all test and evaluation efforts. COMOPTEVFOR planned and executed rigorous operational test events to evaluate LCS and SUW MP warfighting capabilities under realistic operational conditions and determine the ship's effectiveness and suitability to accomplish the mission.

"The crew of USS Coronado - along with the SUW detachment and aviation detachment - are to be commended for their performance during IOT&E," said Capt. Tom Anderson, LCS program manager. "The crew demonstrated the capabilities of the ship and SUW MP systems through successful completion of a wide variety of tests."

The events completed during IOT&E gauged the ship's ability during the following: tracking and live fire tests against threat representative high speed maneuverable surface targets using the 30 mm and 57 mm guns; tracking air threats with the ship's air search radar and the SeaRAM anti-ship missile defense system; and conducting Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure operations utilizing the SUW MP's maritime security module and MH-60R Helicopter.

"The crew and detachments did a tremendous job of skillfully executing all of the test events. Their performance shows that the surface warfare mission package on both variants of LCS is a capable and lethal addition to the fleet. This is an exciting time for LCS and the Navy," said Capt. Casey Moton, Mission Modules program manager.

The Navy is scheduled to complete IOT&E phase two on USS Coronado with the SUW MP in the spring of 2016. Phase two will validate cybersecurity and software updates planned for installation prior to deployment.

The LCS class consists of the Freedom and Independence variants, designed and built by two separate industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin (for the odd-numbered hulls, e.g. LCS 1). The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA (for LCS 6 and follow-on even-numbered hulls) and was led by General Dynamics, Bath Iron Works for LCS 2 and LCS 4. Purchased under the innovative block-buy acquisition strategy, there are 14 ships currently under construction.

The littoral combat ship is a modular, reconfigurable ship, with three mission packages (surface warfare, mine countermeasures, and anti-submarine warfare). The Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships 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.