U.S. Navy commissions USS Omaha littoral combat ship
NewsFebruary 05, 2018
SAN DIEGO. The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Independence-class littoral combat ship (LCS), USS Omaha (LCS 12), during a ceremony on Saturday, February 3, 2018, in San Diego, California.
The 421.5-foot-long ship is the sixth Independence-variant LCS and the 11th LCS to enter into service with the U.S. Navy; it is the fourth warship to be named for the Nebraska city. It is equipped with one Mk 110 57 mm gun, one RIM-116 Evolved SeaRAM system, and 4.50-caliber machine guns. Its deck can accommodate two Sikorsky MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters or one Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aircraft.
The navy’s LCS is a modular, reconfigurable vessel that has been built to meet validated fleet requirements for surface warfare, antisubmarine warfare, and mine countermeasure operations in the littoral region.
Ship Cmdr. Michael Toth, who will lead a core crew of 70 officers and enlisted personnel, called the Omaha a beautiful ship: “She is the fastest and most maneuverable warship in the Navy inventory.”