LCS shock trial blast spooks Floridians

The Navy used a 10,000-pound charge as part of its Full Ship Shock Trials testing of the Littoral Combat Ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) about 150 miles off the east coast of Florida on July 16. The blast rocked the floor of the Atlantic Ocean and registered as a 3.7 earthquake. It was the final of three tests designed to validate the operational survivability of LCS 6 - a new ship based at Mayport Naval Station and built by Austal USA shipyards in Mobile, Ala. Capt. Thurraya Kent, a Navy spokesman, said the service gets approval from several environmental organizations, and concerns over sea life and the safety of vessels are taken into consideration. The Navy sends notices to mariners before each test – much like Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., does in advance of weapons testing on- and off-shore in the Gulf of Mexico. The Navy will continue these types of ship tests for the remainder of the summer. (Florida Times-Union 07/23/16)