Mobile's Maiden Deployment A Littoral Success

The U.S. Navy's Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Mobile has returned home to San Diego after a 19-month deployment which included a joint patrol in the South China Sea with ships from Australia, Japan, and the Philippines.

Mobile's patrol alongside HMAS Warramunga, JS Akebono, and BRP Antonio Luna and BRP Valentin Diaz was the first such joint operation between those nations. It marked the American combat ship's first deployment to 7th fleet since her commissioning in May 2021; she cost in the region of $360 million to build.

She is 127m long, has a 32m beam and 4.3m draft. She has a maximum speed of 44 knots and can carry an MH-60 Seahawk helicopter and one or two MQ-8 Fire Scout Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). She can also be armed with Naval Strike and Hellfire missiles, a SeaRAM Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) as well as Bushmaster II guns and a 57 mm Naval Automatic Gun.

As per a recent U.S. Navy press statement, Mobile participated in freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea, maritime domain awareness and patrol alongside the Philippine Navy, Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Thailand 2023, Malaysia’s Langkawi International Maritime Aerospace Exhibition 2023 (LIMA 2023), and Noble Dingo with the Royal Australian Navy.

As well as the multinational maritime cooperative activity exercises with Philippine Navy, Royal Australian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Mobile also participated in trilateral exercises alongside the French Navy and Royal Australian Navy, and bilateral operations with the Royal Netherlands Navy and Italian Navy.

“Mobile’s maiden deployment to 7th fleet was incredibly successful, and we are extremely proud of the accomplishments of both crews,” said Capt. Douglas Meagher, commodore, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. “Mobile operated alongside other U.S. Navy assets as well as international allies and partners to not only strengthen our relationships but to demonstrate the tactical capabilities and strategic value of littoral combat ships.”

CARAT 2023 was a bilateral exercise between Thailand and the United States to strengthen maritime partnerships and boost interoperability.

Mobile is homeported in San Diego as a part of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. LCS are fast surface combatants designed to operate primarily near shore, but also in open-ocean environments. LCS integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.

• You can read more details on the U.S. Navy website