The Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Wichita is set to undergo another significant repair, following the award of a $49m contract to BAE Systems – Jacksonville Ship Repair.
The firm-fixed-price contract, announced by the US Department of War, covers maintenance, modernisation and repair of the ship, continuing the US Navy’s investment in the vessel since its commissioning in 2019.
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Under the terms of the agreement, BAE Systems will oversee all labour, supervision, equipment, production, testing, facilities, and quality assurance required for the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Availability.
The work, scheduled to take place at Mayport, Florida, is expected to be completed by May 2027.
Options included in the contract could raise its total value to $60.89m if exercised.
Funding will come primarily from fiscal 2025 Navy procurement accounts, amounting to $46.30m with an additional $3.04m allocated from fiscal 2026 funds.
Together, these funds will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
Naval Sea Systems Command is managing the contracting activity.
USS Wichita, homeported at Naval Station Mayport, is the third vessel in US Navy history to carry the name of Kansas’s largest city.
Since its commissioning on 12 January 2019, Wichita has served as the training platform for Mine Division Two Two, which is tasked with at-sea readiness for mine countermeasure crews operating the LCS mine countermeasures variant.
The USS Wichita was one of nine Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships identified by the US Navy in its fiscal year 2023 budget request for potential decommissioning, citing high maintenance and repair costs.
However, language in a House defence funding bill published in June 2023 prevented the Navy from retiring these ships and added restrictions related to service member travel for reproductive healthcare.
As a result, USS Wichita remains active and continues to receive substantial investment.
In August 2023, Lockheed Martin Rotary and Missions Systems received a contract modification to support the replacement of a main propulsion diesel engine for USS Wichita.
Earlier this year, the ship’s crew has also recently completed essential repairs during deployment with the US Fourth Fleet.
The US Navy reported that Wichita sailors carried out repairs on essential ship systems, including a ship’s service diesel generator, a main propulsion diesel engine, and supporting auxiliary equipment, which enabled the warship to maintain full mission capability.
The Littoral Combat Ship class, which includes both Freedom and Independence variants, is built for agility in near-shore operations.
Equipped with modular mission packages for missions such as mine countermeasures and surface warfare, these ships are designed for rapid adaptation to evolving operational needs.
The US Navy continues to refine and expand the LCS’s capabilities through the integration of advanced systems such as uncrewed surface vessels, the Naval Strike Missile, and the MK-70 Payload Delivery System.
