Navy

Delivery of Tulsa

The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Tulsa (LCS-16) during a ceremony in Mobile, Alabama, April 30.

The future USS Tulsa (LCS-16) is underway for acceptance trials, which are the last significant milestone before delivery of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship to the Navy. During trials, the U.S. Navy conducted comprehensive tests of the future USS Tulsa (LCS-16), intended to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship handling abilities and auxiliary systems (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Austal USA/Released)
The future USS Tulsa (LCS-16) is underway for acceptance trials, which are the last significant milestone before delivery of the Independence-variant littoral combat ship to the Navy. During trials, the U.S. Navy conducted comprehensive tests of the future USS Tulsa (LCS-16), intended to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship handling abilities and auxiliary systems (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Austal USA/Released)

Delivery marks the official transfer of LCS-16 from the shipbuilder, an Austal USA-led team, to the U.S. Navy. It is the final milestone prior to commissioning, which is planned for late 2018 in San Francisco.

«Today marks a significant milestone in the life of the future USS Tulsa, as transfer occurs to the Navy and she enters service», said Captain Mike Taylor, LCS program manager. «I look forward to celebrating the commissioning of this fine ship alongside the crew later this year in San Francisco».

Tulsa is the 13th Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to be delivered to the U.S. Navy and the eighth of the Independence variant to join the fleet. The Independence variant is noted for its unique trimaran hull and its large flight deck.

«We look forward to welcoming the future USS Tulsa and crew in San Diego later this year», said Captain Matthew McGonigle, commander, LCS Squadron One (COMLCSRON ONE). «Bringing a ship to life is no small task and I commend the crew for their hard work and dedication to their ship and to the LCS community».

COMLCSRON ONE supports the operational commanders with warships ready for tasking by manning, training, equipping and maintaining littoral combat ships on the west coast.

«To see Tulsa ready for delivery, words almost can’t express the amazing work that Austal, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Gulf Coast, and Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants, have done to get her to this point», said Commander Drew Borovies, Tulsa’s commanding officer. «Although there is still plenty of hard work ahead, we are at the point where Tulsa is ready for her crew, and I can say without hesitation that her crew is ready for Tulsa. Tulsa and her crew are ‘Tough, Ready and Able!’»

Following commissioning, Tulsa will be homeported in San Diego with her fellow ships USS Freedom (LCS-1), USS Independence (LCS-2), USS Fort Worth (LCS-3), USS Coronado (LCS-4), USS Jackson (LCS-6), USS Montgomery (LCS-8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10), USS Omaha (LCS-12) and the future USS Manchester (LCS-14).

LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship designed to meet validated fleet requirements for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral region. An interchangeable mission package is embarked on each LCS and provides the primary mission systems in one of these warfare areas. Using an open architecture design, modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to gain, sustain, and exploit littoral maritime supremacy, LCS provides U.S. joint force access to critical theaters.

Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants is responsible for delivering and sustaining littoral mission capabilities to the fleet.

 

The Independence Variant of the LCS Class

PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS
Construction Hull and superstructure – aluminium alloy
Length overall 421 feet/128.3 m
Beam overall 103 feet/31.4 m
Hull draft (maximum) 14.8 feet/4.5 m
PAYLOAD AND CAPACITIES
Complement Core Crew – 40
Mission crew – 36
Berthing 76 in a mix of single, double & quad berthing compartments
Maximum mission load 210 tonnes
Mission Bay Volume 118,403 feet3/11,000 m3
Mission packages Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
Surface Warfare (SUW)
Mine Warfare (MIW)
PROPULSION
Main engines 2 × GE LM2500
2 × MTU 20V 8000
Waterjets 4 × Wartsila steerable
Bow thruster Retractable azimuthing
PERFORMANCE
Speed 40 knots/46 mph/74 km/h
Range 3,500 NM/4,028 miles/6,482 km
Operational limitation Survival in Sea State 8
MISSION/LOGISTICS DECK
Deck area >21,527.8 feet2/2,000 m2
Launch and recovery Twin boom extending crane
Loading Side ramp
Internal elevator to hanger
Launch/Recover Watercraft Sea State 4
FLIGHT DECK AND HANGER
Flight deck dimensions 2 × SH-60 or 1 × CH-53 or multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles/Vertical Take-off and Land Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs/VTUAVs)
Hanger Aircraft stowage & maintenance for 2 × SH-60
Launch/Recover Aircraft Sea State 5
WEAPONS AND SENSORS
Standard 1 × 57-mm gun
4 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber guns
1 × Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) launcher
3 × weapons modules

 

Independence-class

Ship Laid down Launched Commissioned Homeport
USS Independence (LCS-2) 01-19-2006 04-26-2008 01-16-2010 San Diego, California
USS Coronado (LCS-4) 12-17-2009 01-14-2012 04-05-2014 San Diego, California
USS Jackson (LCS-6) 08-01-2011 12-14-2013 12-05-2015 San Diego, California
USS Montgomery (LCS-8) 06-25-2013 08-06-2014 09-10-2016 San Diego, California
USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) 04-16-2014 02-25-2015 06-10-2017 San Diego, California
USS Omaha (LCS-12) 02-18-2015 11-20-2015 02-03-2018 San Diego, California
USS Manchester (LCS-14) 06-29-2015 05-12-2016 San Diego, California
USS Tulsa (LCS-16) 01-11-2016 03-16-2017 San Diego, California
USS Charleston (LCS-18) 06-28-2016
USS Cincinnati (LCS-20) 04-10-2017
USS Kansas City (LCS-22) 11-15-2017
USS Oakland (LCS-24)
USS Mobile (LCS-26)
USS Savannah (LCS-28)
USS Canberra (LCS-30)