The Littoral Combat Ship Freedom put to sea for the first time, marking the beginning of Builder’s Sea Trials for the first-in-class coastal surface combatant. The agile 378-foot Freedom, designed and built by a Lockheed Martin is conducting Builder’s Sea Trials in Lake Michigan. The trials – which are a coordinated effort between the U.S. Navy and the Lockheed Martin team – will include operational testing of the vessel’s propulsion, communications, navigation and mission systems, as well as all related support systems.
The Lockheed Martin team’s design for LCS is a survivable, semi-planing steel monohull that provides outstanding maneuverability with proven sea-keeping characteristics to support launch and recovery operations, mission execution and optimum crew comfort.
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