USS Manchester (LCS-14)
Independence-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
USS Manchester (LCS-14) is an Independence-class littoral combat ship in the United States Navy. She is the second ship to be named for Manchester, New Hampshire.[7][8]
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USS Manchester on 5 December 2017 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Manchester |
| Namesake | Manchester |
| Awarded | 29 December 2010[1] |
| Builder | Austal USA[1] |
| Laid down | 29 June 2015[2] |
| Launched | 12 May 2016[3] |
| Sponsored by | Jeanne Shaheen[2] |
| Christened | 7 May 2016[4] |
| Acquired | 28 February 2018[5] |
| Commissioned | 26 May 2018[6] |
| Home port | San Diego |
| Motto |
|
| Status | Active |
| Badge | _insignia,_2018_(171213-N-BL450-193).png) |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Independence-class littoral combat ship |
| Displacement | 2,307 metric tons light, 3,104 metric tons full, 797 metric tons deadweight |
| Length | 127.4 m (418 ft) |
| Beam | 31.6 m (104 ft) |
| Draft | 14 ft (4.27 m) |
| Propulsion | 2× gas turbines, 2× diesel, 4× waterjets, retractable Azimuth thruster, 4× diesel generators |
| Speed | 40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph)+, 47 knots (54 mph; 87 km/h) sprint |
| Range | 4,300 nautical miles (8,000 km; 4,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)+ |
| Capacity | 210 tonnes |
| Complement | 53 core crew (11 officers, 42 enlisted) plus up to 35 mission crew |
| Sensors & processing systems |
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| Electronic warfare & decoys | |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 2× MH-60R/S Seahawks |
Design
In 2002, the United States Navy initiated a program to develop the first of a fleet of littoral combat ships.[9] The Navy initially ordered two trimaran hulled ships from General Dynamics, which became known as the Independence-class littoral combat ship after the first ship of the class, USS Independence.[9] Even-numbered U.S. Navy littoral combat ships are built using the Independence-class trimaran design, while odd-numbered ships are based on a competing design, the conventional monohull Freedom-class littoral combat ship.[9] The initial order of littoral combat ships involved a total of four ships, including two of the Independence-class design.[9] On 29 December 2010, the Navy announced that it was awarding Austal USA a contract to build ten additional Independence-class littoral combat ships.[10][11]
Construction and career
The ship's keel was laid on 29 June 2015, at Mobile, Alabama.[2] The initials of New Hampshire senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ship's sponsor, were welded into the hull of Manchester during the traditional keel laying ceremony. Manchester was christened on 7 May 2016 and she was launched on 12 May 2016.[3][4] Manchester was commissioned on 26 May 2018.[6]
She is assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One.[12]
From March 2023 to 26 August 2023 a clandestine Wi-Fi network was operated for the benefit of the chiefs mess using a Starlink satellite dish.[13]
Awards
- Battle "E" – (2019)
