Keel to be Laid for U.S. Navy's Third Littoral Combat Ship

[Metallic]

UNITED STATES - 10 JULY 2009

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The keel for the future littoral combat ship, USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), will be laid July 11 during a ceremony at Marinette Marine Shipyard in Marinette, Wisc.

Keel-laying has traditionally been the first step in ship construction, when shipbuilders laid down the lengthwise timber that would become the ship's backbone.

During the scheduled event, a shipyard welder will attach the future ship's plaque to the keel, and U.S. Rep. Kay Granger will confirm that the keel was laid "straight and true."

"Starting construction on the third ship is an exciting milestone to reach," said Capt. Jim Murdoch, LCS program manager within the Navy's Program Executive Office, Ships.

"Reaching the Navy's goal of a 55-ship class depends on getting LCS into serial production, which will lead to high quality ships being delivered to the fleet on cost and on schedule."

LCS is a new breed of U.S. Navy warship, capable of open-ocean operation but optimized for littoral or coastal missions. Operational experience and analyses indicate that potential adversaries will employ asymmetric means to deny U.S. and allied forces access into critical coastal regions, such as strategic chokepoints and vital economic sea lanes. LCS is specifically designed to defeat such "anti-access" threats, which include fast surface craft, quiet diesel submarines and various types of mines.

Fort Worth is expected to be delivered to the Navy in 2012, when she will join sister ships USS Freedom (LCS 1) and USS Independence (LCS 2). Freedom was commissioned by the Navy in November 2008. Independence is currently undergoing builder's sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico and is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy later this year. A contract was awarded to General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works in May for the construction of LCS 4, the future USS Coronado.

The future USS Fort Worth, named in honor of the Texas city, will be 378 feet in length, have a waterline beam of 57 feet, displace approximately 3,000 tons and will make speed in excess of 40 knots.

PEO Ships is responsible for the development and acquisition of U.S. Navy surface ships and is currently managing the design and construction of a wide range of ship classes and small boats and craft. These platforms range from major warships such as frontline surface combatants and amphibious assault ships to air-cushioned landing craft, oceanographic research ships and special warfare craft. PEO Ships has delivered 31 major warships and hundreds of small boats and craft from more than 30 shipyards and boat builders across the United States.

 

[TruthSeeker]

It is interesting to me as an American that these ships are being built in Wisconsin on the Great Lakes of the US. The initial "sea trials" are on Lake Michigan!! These LCS navy ships can "steam" past Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo and Toronto!

 

[Metallic]

Lockheed Martin Team Lays Keel On Nation's Third Littoral Combat Ship, Fort Worth
UNITED STATES - 11 JULY 2009

A Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)-led industry team held a keel-laying ceremony at Marinette Marine's shipyard today for Fort Worth, the U.S. Navy's third Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).

The LCS is an agile warship designed to operate in the world's coastal waters and provide the Navy with fast, maneuverable and shallow-draft ships aimed at maximizing mission flexibility. In March 2009, the Navy awarded the Lockheed Martin team a fixed price incentive fee contract to construct Fort Worth, which will be delivered in 2012. The team's first LCS, USS Freedom, was commissioned in Milwaukee by the Navy in November 2008.

"It's a great honor to serve as the sponsor of the Fort Worth," said Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-12-Texas), the ship's sponsor, whose congressional district encompasses the city of Fort Worth. "The keel laying ceremony today is also a great tribute to the tireless efforts by the city of Fort Worth and all those who believed this day would happen. The thousands of letters that were written and the drawings that were done embody the spirit of making this dream a reality. The keel is the backbone of the ship, and the city of Fort Worth has long been a 'backbone' of support for our American Military forces."

Navy Capt. James Murdoch, Littoral Combat Ship program manager, Program Executive Office -Ships, congratulated Marinette Marine for the "fabulous job" it has done for the nation, the Navy and Lockheed Martin. He observed, "With USS Freedom, Marinette Marine delivered a fine capability to the Navy, and I look forward to Fort Worth with great anticipation."

The Lockheed Martin-led LCS team includes naval architect Gibbs & Cox, ship builders Marinette Marine Corporation, a Fincantieri company, and Bollinger Shipyards, as well as domestic and international teammates.

In Navy ships, the keel refers to a structural element, or in the case of Fort Worth, a structural block. The keel is generally the first part of a ship's hull to be constructed, and laying the keel, is often marked with a ceremonial event. Modern warships are now largely built in a series of pre-fabricated, complete hull sections rather than being built around a single keel, so the actual start of the shipbuilding process is now considered to be when the first sheet of steel is cut. The term, lay the keel, in shipbuilding language, means the beginning of a significant undertaking, which is the start of the module erection process that reflects the ship coming to life.

During the keel-laying ceremony, Cong. Granger authenticated the keel, assisted by Capt. Murdoch and 36-year veteran Marinette Marine welder Jim Renner.

The future USS FORT WORTH continues the practice of naming LCS vessels after American midsized cities, small towns and communities. For more than 150 years, Fort Worth citizens have supported the Navy and all men and women in uniform via ranger outposts, training facilities, aviation depots, and defense manufacturing.

"We are committed to continuing our partnership with the Navy and providing them the most affordable solution to fill a critical need," said Dan Schultz, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Maritime Systems & Sensors Integrated Defense Technologies business. "LCS 3's construction will benefit from lessons learned on USS Freedom. It will be built using Marinette Marine's modular production process that enables ship modules to be outfitted up to 85 percent complete prior to launch."

In May, USS Freedom successfully conducted its second and final round of U.S. Navy acceptance trials off the Virginia coast. The trials -- which were a coordinated effort between the Navy and the Lockheed Martin team-- included operational testing of the vessel's propulsion, communications, navigation and mission systems, as well as all related support systems.

The Lockheed Martin team design for LCS provides outstanding maneuverability with proven sea-keeping and stability characteristics and innovative design features to support launch and recovery operations of manned and unmanned vehicles. Reaching speeds well over 40 knots, the ship is a highly automated and networked surface combatant with operational flexibility to execute focused missions such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare and the potential for a wide range of additional missions, including maritime interdiction and humanitarian/disaster relief. The Freedom-class employs a secure, high-availability ship-wide network that can be controlled from a single workstation and rapidly reconfigured based on mission demands. This system, combined with an Aegis-based open architecture command and control system, went from design concept to delivery in just 18 months. Freedom was delivered to the fleet in only six years from initial concept, half the time of traditional shipbuilding programs.


Source: Lockheed Martin