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NavSource Online: Littoral Warship Photo Archive

Independence (LCS 2)

Specifications - LCS Littoral Combat Ship (Flight 0, first generation):
Hull Type: Stabilized Trimaran Monohull
Displacement: 2176 tons (light), 2784 tons (full)
Dead Weight: 608 tons
Length: 418' (oa)
Beam: 93.2' (extreme)
Draft: 13' (Maximum Navigational Draft)
Propulsion: Two gas turbine engines, two propulsion diesels, two waterjets
Speed: 47 kts (sprint), 50+ kts (top speed)
Armament: Bofors 57mm naval gun; Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher; 3 - .50-caliber machine gun mounts
Combat Management System: Northrup Grumman ICMS
Electronics: Ericsson Sea Giraffe (air / surface surveillance, weapon assignment);
Decoy System: 3 - Super RBOC; 2 - Nulka Decoy launchers
Complement: 26

Independence (LCS 2) Building and Operational Data:

14 October 2005: Contract Awarded to General Dynamics Corp.

19 January 2006: Laid down at Austal USA, Mobile, Ala.

29 April 2008: Launched

4 October 2008: Christened, sponsored by Mrs. Doreen Scott, wife of Terry D. Scott, 10th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

18 October 2009: Completed builder's trials in the Gulf of Mexico

18 December 2009: Delivered to, and accepted by, the U.S. Navy

16 January 2010: Commissioned at Mobile, Ala., Cdr Kurt A. Renshaw (CO Blue) and Cdr Michael B. Riley (CO Gold) in command

Note:
1.) The contract option awarded to Lockheed Martin Corporation is managed by Lockheed Martin's Maritime Systems and Sensors division in Moorestown NJ. The Lockheed Martin team includes: Marinette Marine shipyard, Bollinger Shipyards, Gibbs and Cox naval architects, Izar of Spain and Blohm & Voss naval shipbuilders.

2.) The contract option awarded to General Dynamics is managed by Bath Iron Works at Bath, Me. The major members of General Dynamics team are: Austal USA, based in Mobile, Ala.; BAE Systems, Rockville, Md; Maritime Applied Physics Corporation, Baltimore, Md; CAE Marine Systems, Leesburg, Va.; Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Baltimore, Md; General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, Burlington, Vt.; General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Conn.; General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Washington, D.C.; and General Dynamics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.

Size	Image Description	Contributed By And/Or Copyright
102k	27 May 2004: Washington DC - The U.S. Navy announced today that General Dynamics - Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, will be one of two defense contracting teams awarded contract options for final system design with options for detail design and construction of up to two Flight 0 Littoral Combat Ships (LCS). The LCS is an entirely new breed of U.S. Navy warship. A fast, agile, and networked surface combatant, LCS's modular, focused-mission design will provide Combatant Commanders the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to ensure maritime dominance and access for the joint force. LCS will operate with focused-mission packages that deploy manned and unmanned vehicles to execute missions including, Special Operations Forces (SOF) support, high-speed transit, Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), and Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP). (Artist concept provided to the U.S. Navy courtesy of General Dynamics, Photo #040527-O-0000G-004, from the Navy Newstand)	NavSource
116k	19 January 2006: Mobile, Ala. - The Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, the Honorable Delores Etter, center, shakes hands with Executive Chairman of Austal Ltd., Mr. John Rothwell, after her initials were inscribed onto a piece of Littoral Combat Ship Two (LCS 2) during the ship's keel laying ceremony. LCS 2’s speed, crew compliment and mission capabilities will be similar to *Freedom* (LCS 1), its sister ship. The Navy's 2nd Littoral Combat Ship is scheduled for commissioning in 2008. (U.S. Navy photo #060119-N-0000X-001, from the Navy Newstand)
183k	19 January 2006: Mobile, Ala. - The Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, the Honorable Delores Etter, center, shakes hands with Executive Chairman of Austal Ltd., Mr. John Rothwell, after her initials were inscribed onto a piece of Littoral Combat Ship Two (LCS 2) during the ship's keel laying ceremony. LCS 2’s speed, crew compliment and mission capabilities will be similar to *Freedom* (LCS 1), its sister ship. The Navy's 2nd Littoral Combat Ship is scheduled for commissioning in 2008. (U.S. Navy photo #060119-N-0000X-001, from the Navy Newstand)
79k	27 April 2008: Mobile, Ala. - A view of *Independence* sitting tied up at Austal.	Richard B. Cushing ENCM, USN (ret.)
153k	27 April 2008: Mobile, Ala. - USS *Independence* being prepared for her launching. She was moved to a floating drydock, from which she'll be floated off after the launching ceremony.	Bill "Pinch" Paisley Instapinch Blog
92k	29 April 2008: Mobile, Ala. - The drydock is being lowered in preparation for floating off USS *Independence*.
176k	29 April 2008: Mobile, Ala. USS *Independence* sits tied up in front of an erecting shed at Austal.
195k	4 October 2008: Mobile, Ala. - Doreen Scott, wife of the 10th Master Chief Petty of the Navy Terry D. Scott, breaks the champagne bottle during a christening ceremony for the Pre-Commissiong Unit *Independence* (LCS 2). (U.S. Navy photo #081004-N-5549O-113 by MC2 Kevin S. O'Brien from the Navy News Stand)	Lee Wahler
157k	2 July 2009: Mobile, Ala. - The Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) *Independence* (LCS 2), the U. S. Navy's first trimaran littoral combat ship, departs Mobile, Ala. to begin builder's sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico July 2, 2009. (U.S. Navy photos courtesy of General Dynamics, from the Navy Newstand)	Mike Hibbing
94k
152k
205k	2 July 2009: the Gulf of Mexico - The littoral combat ship *Independence* (LCS 2) underway during builder's trials. Builder's trials are the first opportunity for the shipbuilder and the U.S. Navy to operate the ship underway, and provide an opportunity to test and correct issues before acceptance trials. (Photos courtesy of Dennis Griggs General Dynamics Corp., from the Navy Newstand)
163k
96k
204k
189k
105k
129k	16 November 2009: Mobile, Ala. - The littoral combat ship Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) *Independence* (LCS 2) pulls away from the pier for her acceptance trials at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. (U.S. Navy photo #091116-N-3594V-092 and 091116-N-3594V-080 by MC2 Elizabeth Vlahos from the Navy News Stand)	Lee Wahler
126k		Lee Wahler
192k	16 January 2010: Mobile, Ala. - The sailors who will set the first watch stand at attention during the commissioning ceremony of the Navy's newest littoral combat ship USS *Independence* (LCS 2). (U.S. Navy photo #100116-N-8273J-138 by MC1 Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst from the Navy News Stand)	Navsource
156k	16 January 2010: Mobile, Ala. - The new littoral combat ship, USS *Independence* (LCS 2) is pier side during her commissioning ceremony. *Independence* is the second of two littoral combat ships designed to operate in shallow water environments to counter threats in coastal regions. (U.S. Navy photo #100116-N-8273J-025 by MC1 Tiffini Jones Vanderwyst from the Navy News Stand)	Navsource

USS Independence's Commanding Officers

Blue Crew Gold Crew

Date of Command Name Date of Command Name

January 2010 Cdr Kurt A. Renshaw January 2010 Cdr Michael B. Riley

USS Independence's Commanding Officers
Blue Crew	Gold Crew
Date of Command	Name	Date of Command	Name
January 2010	Cdr Kurt A. Renshaw	January 2010	Cdr Michael B. Riley

There is no DANFS History currently available for Independence (LCS 2) at Navsource

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
none

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
View This Vessel's Official Web page

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Last Updated 17 January 2010