The US-Navy’s Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) has carried out a live-fire missile test off the coast of Virginia.
As part of the exercise, the navy ship fired four Longbow Hellfire missiles that successfully hit fast inshore attack craft targets.
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During the test, crew members of LCS 5 created a scenario simulating complex combat environments. They used radar and other systems to track small surface targets, simulated engagements and finally fired the Hellfire missiles against the surface targets.
The test-firing marked the conclusion of Phase I of the surface-to-surface missile module (SSMM) developmental testing (DT) for the LCS mission modules (MM) programme and was the second at-sea launch of SSMM missiles from a US Navy LCS.
With initial operational capability (IOC) and fielding expected next year, the SSMM helps leverage the Longbow Hellfire missile in a vertical launch capability to attack and destroy small boat threats.
LCS Squadron Two US Navy captain Shawn Johnston said: “The east coast littoral combat team continues to grow and mature with two Freedom variant LCSs arriving annually in Mayport.
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By GlobalData“We look forward to conducting the next phase of SSMM testing onboard USS Detroit (LCS 7).”
The USS Milwaukee is a fast, agile, mission-focused vessel specifically designed to carry out operations both in near-shore and open-ocean environments. The vessel is capable of defeating asymmetric ‘anti-access’ threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines, and fast surface craft.
Homeported at Naval Station Mayport, the LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship that has been deployed to meet validated fleet requirements for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral region.
