Austal-built LCS deploys with NSM

USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) left its San Diego homeport Sept. 10 carrying the Navy’s new anti-ship Naval Strike Missile (NSM) that can detect enemy vessels at a range of 100 nautical miles. A similarly equipped LCS, USS Montgomery (LCS 8), was deployed to the Pacific Fleet in June. The missiles transform the ships from under-armed to a legitimate threat to warships. A Navy official said only that USS Gabrielle Giffords is deploying to the Indo-Pacific theater. USS Montgomery is currently in the Gulf of Thailand. The two Independence class ships were built by Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. A third LCS, USS Detroit will deploy from Mayport, Fla., this year to join the other two ships in the Pacific. Armament about include the NSM and the MQ-8C Fire Scout drone. When combined, they can destroy over-the-horizon (OTH) targets at 100nm. The Navy’s current Harpoon anti-ship missile has a range of 67nm. The Navy is installing the weapons on all LCS under construction. USS Giffords, commissioned in 2017, was retrofit with the missiles and drones. It’s a game-changer for LCS. They will still have their focused anti-ship, mine-countermeasures and/or anti-submarine warfare missions. The Navy plans to have 35 LCS; and 17 have been delivered. All LCS will be equipped with the OTH missile, a Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program, the Nulka MK 53 Decoy Launching System, improvements to the 57mm gun through installation of the Mk 48 Mod II Gun Weapon Control System, either retrofit or installed at construction, by 2022. (Source: UPI 09/10/19) https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/09/09/Littoral-combat-ship-USS-Gabrielle-Giffords-heads-to-Pacific-with-ship-killing-weaponry/2781568055275/