USS Independence Scheduled To Arrive In San Diego

Warship Will Call Naval Station San Diego Home

SAN DIEGO — The USS Independence, part of a new class of warships built for combat in coastal waters but also capable of open-ocean warfare, is scheduled to arrive at its home port of Naval Station San Diego for the first time Wednesday.

The ship left its shipyard in Mississippi last month, went through the Panama Canal, made a stop in Mexico and completed a mine detection and clearance exercise off the Florida coast.

While capable of operating in open waters, the new ship is specifically designed to operate in coastal regions in water as shallow as 20 feet and confront such threats as swarms of fast surface craft, quiet diesel submarines, and mines.

Unlike traditional ships with fixed armament, littoral combat ships can be fitted with different types of weapons at different times, depending on the mission. They can also launch helicopters as well as unmanned mine-hunting vehicles.

The 419-foot ship, which can be operated by a crew of 40, also can have alternating crews — identified by colors. The gold crew will turn the Independence over to the blue crew upon

Article source: http://www.10news.com/news/30991694/detail.html posted in Panama Canal

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