USS Manchester (LCS-14)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Manchester.

USS Manchester on 5 December 2017
History
United States
NameManchester
NamesakeManchester
Awarded29 December 2010[2]
BuilderAustal USA[2]
Laid down29 June 2015[1]
Launched12 May 2016[3]
Sponsored byJeanne Shaheen[1]
Christened7 May 2016[4]
Acquired28 February 2018[5]
Commissioned26 May 2018[6]
HomeportSan Diego
Motto
  • Labor Vincit
  • (Work Wins)
StatusActive
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeIndependence-class littoral combat ship
Displacement2,307 metric tons light, 3,104 metric tons full, 797 metric tons deadweight
Length127.4 m (418 ft)
Beam31.6 m (104 ft)
Draft14 ft (4.27 m)
Propulsion2× gas turbines, 2× diesel, 4× waterjets, retractable Azimuth thruster, 4× diesel generators
Speed40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph)+, 47 knots (54 mph; 87 km/h) sprint
Range4,300 nautical miles (8,000 km; 4,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)+
Capacity210 tonnes
Complement53 core crew (11 officers, 42 enlisted) plus up to 35 mission crew
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Sea Giraffe 3D Surface/Air RADAR
  • Bridgemaster-E Navigational RADAR
  • AN/KAX-2 EO/IR sensor for GFC
Electronic warfare
& decoys
  • EDO ES-3601 ESM
  • 4× SRBOC rapid bloom chaff launchers
Armament
Aircraft carried2× MH-60R/S Seahawks

USS Manchester (LCS-14) is an Independence-class littoral combat ship in the United States Navy. She is the second ship to be named for Manchester, New Hampshire.[7][8]

Design

In 2002, the United States Navy initiated a program to develop the first of a fleet of littoral combat ships.[9] The Navy initially ordered two trimaran hulled ships from General Dynamics, which became known as the Independence-class littoral combat ship after the first ship of the class, USS Independence.[9] Even-numbered U.S. Navy littoral combat ships are built using the Independence-class trimaran design, while odd-numbered ships are based on a competing design, the conventional monohull Freedom-class littoral combat ship.[9] The initial order of littoral combat ships involved a total of four ships, including two of the Independence-class design.[9] On 29 December 2010, the Navy announced that it was awarding Austal USA a contract to build ten additional Independence-class littoral combat ships.[10][11]

Construction and career

The ship's keel was laid on 29 June 2015, at Mobile, Alabama.[1] The initials of New Hampshire senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ship's sponsor, were welded into the hull of Manchester during the traditional keel laying ceremony. Manchester was christened on 7 May 2016 and she was launched on 12 May 2016.[3][4] Manchester was commissioned on 26 May 2018.[6]

She is assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One.[12]

From March 2023 to 26 August 2023 a clandestine Wi-Fi network was operated for the benefit of the chiefs mess using a Starlink satellite dish.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Austal hosts keel laying for new Littoral Combat Ship Manchester (LCS 14)" (Press release). Austal USA. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Manchester (LCS 14)". Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Austal launches USS Manchester (LCS 14) at Alabama shipyard". Alabama Department of Commerce. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  4. ^ a b "USS Manchester Christened in Alabama". Military.com. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Manchester (LCS 14)" (Press release). United States Navy. 1 March 2018. NNS180301-18. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  6. ^ a b "USS Manchester Commissioned as Navy's Newest Surface Combatant" (Press release). United States Navy. 30 May 2018. NNS180530-09. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  7. ^ "Secretary of the Navy Names Multiple Ships" (Press release). U.S. Department of Defense. 12 April 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Navy decides to name new combat ship after the city of Manchester, NH". This Week in Raymond. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d "US Navy Fact File: Littoral Combat Ship Class – LCS". US Navy. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  10. ^ Special from Navy Office of Information (29 December 2010). "Littoral Combat Ship Contract Award Announced" (Press release). Navy News Service. NNS101229-09. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  11. ^ Osborn, Kris (27 June 2014). "Navy Engineers LCS Changes". www.dodbuzz.com. Monster. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  12. ^ "LCS Squadron 1". public.navy.mil. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  13. ^ Correll, Diana (3 September 2024). "How Navy chiefs conspired to get themselves illegal warship Wi-Fi". Navy Times.
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