SOUTHCOM: LCS to deploy

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) expects to receive a Littoral Combat Ship in its area of responsibility this fall, Adm. Craig Faller told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee July 9. Faller declined to name a specific LCS, but he did say: “The Navy is committed to deploying one in October. … And we look forward to that.” Faller assumed command last November. “It’s a capability we need (and) we don’t have it,” he said. Earlier this month, the future USS Indianapolis (LCS-17) finished acceptance trials, and the Mobile, Ala.-built future USS Cincinnati (LCS-20) was delivered to the service in late June. The even-numbered hulls are built by Austal USA. SOUTHCOM “needs more assets particularly for monitoring the ongoing political leadership crisis in Venezuela, as well as for the “global counter-narcotic fight,” he said. (Source: Defense Daily 07/10/19) LCS have forward deployed four times - all to the Indo-Pacific region. Currently, USS Montgomery (LCS 8) is forward deployed and homeported out of Singapore.