A Flexible, Proven, Low-risk, Survivable Warship

USS Freedom (LCS 1) is designed to defeat growing asymmetric littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal water battlespace. A fast, maneuverable and networked surface combatant, our low-risk solution provides the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute focused missions including mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare.

History was made when the nation’s first Littoral Combat Ship, Freedom (LCS 1), was put to sea for the first time, marking the beginning of Builder’s Sea Trials for the first-in-class coastal surface combatant.

To meet changing warfare needs, the Lockheed Martin design incorporates large reconfigurable spaces, an integrated launch, recovery and handling system, a large flight deck and mission flexibility through rapid change-out of mission modules and support equipment. Our design features combine exceptional speed, survivability, payload and range to provide flexibility in executing the full spectrum of LCS missions. Optimized for watercraft launch and recovery, our design includes stern and side launch capability near the waterline and an integrated command and control system (C2) to support mission module operation. Our LCS design is supportable worldwide, without needing special facilities or maintenance capabilities.

We are leveraging the U.S. Navy’s investment in open architecture and common C2 systems to allow unprecedented interoperability and make training more cost effective. Our design’s traditional steel monohull allows it to be more affordably produced and maintained by a wider industrial base. It also allows greater access to global ports, essential for this ship’s missions.

The USS Freedom (LCS 1) is proven, delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2008 and being deployed two years early. She has sailed more than 12,000 nm, successfully completed sea trials, helicopter certifications, weapons firings and certifications, small boat launch and recovery and Surface Warfare mission-package testing.

An Experienced, Capable Team

Led by prime contractor Lockheed Martin, the team includes naval architect Gibbs & Cox, as well as ship builders Marinette Marine Corporation, a Fincantieri company, and Bollinger Shipyards.

Lockheed Martin provides extensive expertise in program management, systems engineering, modularity architecture and C4I network integration. Lockheed Martin has applied lessons learned from building USS Freedom (LCS 1) in record time to reduce labor costs on LCS 3 by 30%. LCS 3 is on-cost and on-schedule. Gibbs & Cox holds an exceptional 70-year record of naval engineering. With combined experience of over 100 years building warships and other high-speed platforms, competitive mid-tier shipyards Marinette Marine Corporation and Bollinger Shipyards balance commercial and military work successfully and cost efficiently.

With a common set of tools and processes, the Lockheed Martin team effectively manages cost and schedule risk, while providing seamless construction flexibility between shipyards.

The team has invested millions of dollars to improve processes, for constructing LCS at mid-tier shipyards, that diversify the Navy’s shipbuilding options and allow it to leverage the benefits of competition. Lockheed Martin’s global supplier base also allows us to leverage buying power to further reduce costs.