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USS Billings (LCS-15)


Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) [ 2018 ]



USS Billings LCS-15 was awarded in December of 2010, saw her keel laid down in November of 2015 and was put out to sea in July 2017.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 02/01/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
USS Billings is the eighth warship of the Freedom-class group of "littoral combat ships". The class was conceived by the United States Navy (USN) as a relative compact, multi-mission-minded warship designed to operate close-to-shore, providing support to amphibious operations, patrolling / denying strategic areas and the like. Two very distinct classes of littoral combat ships were eventually developed for the service - the aforementioned Freedom-class and the trimaran Independence-class. The Freedom-class takes on a more conventional warship appearance with its singular hull line.

USS Billings was awarded to Marinette Marine on December 29th, 2010 and saw her keel laid down on November 2nd, 2015. She was launched on July 1st, 2017. Named after the American city of Billings, Montana, the Billings is expected to be delivered to the United States Navy before the end of 2017.

The vessel follows the standard design qualities set down by lead ship USS Freedom (LCS-1). It displaces nearly 4,000 tons and showcases an overall length of 378 feet, a beam of 57 feet and a draught of 13 feet (dimensionally smaller than a frigate, more akin to a corvette). The shallow draught is of note for it provides the warship the ability to operate in areas close-to-shore. Power is from 2 x Rolls-Royce MT30 36 MW gas turbines coupled with 2 x Colt-Pielstick diesel engines. 4 x Rolls-Royce waterjets are used for fine-tuned maneuvering. Expected speeds are in the vicinity of 45 knots and the hull can sustain the Sea State 3 environment. Range is out to 3,500 nautical miles.

The base crew numbers about fifty personnel with about seventy-five more making up the mission contingent. The vessel holds enough provision aboard to allow for operations exceeding twenty-one days at sea.

Outwardly, the warship is given the usual stealth qualities common to modern warships including faceted sides, integrated smoke funnel and a low profile. The forecastle's only protrusion is its turreted deck gun. The bridge superstructure is just aft of this emplacement and features a stepped appearance. The pole-type mast is of a low-profile design as well. Over the stern is a helicopter flight deck and full-service hangar to support a medium-lift navy helicopter. Typically 2 x Sikorsky MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopters will be carried with provision also being had for the Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout UAV helicopter.

Armament includes 1 x 57mm Mk 110 turreted deck gun, RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers and Mk 50 series torpedoes. In this way the single warship can engage at-sea threats in the air, on the water or under it. 2 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns are carried for extreme close-in defense.

This article will be updated as new information allows.©MilitaryFactory.com
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Specifications



United States
Operators National flag of the United States
2018
Commissioned
United States
National Origin
In Trials
Project Status
125
Complement
Freedom-class
Hull Class
13
Number-in-Class
USS Freedom (LCS-1); USS Fort Worth (LCS-3); USS Milwaukee (LCS-5); USS Detroit (LCS-7); USS Little Rock (LCS-9); USS Souix City (LCS-11); USS Wichita (LCS-13); USS Billings (LCS-15); USS Indianapolis (LCS-17); USS St. Louis (LCS-19); Unnamed (LSC-21); Unnamed (LCS-23); Unnamed (LCS-25)
Ships-in-Class


Amphibious Assault
A shallow draught, and other qualities, give this vessel the ability to support amphibious assault operations close-to-shore.
Offshore Operation
Activities conducted near shorelines in support of allied activities.


378.0 feet
(115.21 meters)
Length
57.3 feet
(17.47 meters)
Beam
12.7 feet
(3.87 meters)
Draught
3,000
tons
Displacement


2 x Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines with 2 x Colt-Pielstick diesel engines in COmbined Diesel And Gas (CODAG) arrangement; 4 x Rolls-Royce waterjet thrusters.
Propulsion
47.0 knots
(54.1 mph)
Surface Speed
3,476 nm
(4,000 miles | 6,437 km)
Range
1 knot = 1.15 mph; 1 nm = 1.15 mile; 1 nm = 1.85 km


1 x 57mm Mk 110 BAe Systems dual-purpose deck gun
2 x 30mm Mk 44 Bushmaster II cannons
21 x RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile missiles
45 x NLOS (Non Line-of-Sight) missiles
4 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns


Up to 2 x Sikorsky MH-60R/S Seahawk naval helicopters. Support for 1 x Northrop Grumman MQ-8 "Fire Scout" helicopter drone.


Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War period
Military lapel ribbon for early warship designs
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Military lapel ribbon for the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Images



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Image of the USS Billings (LCS-15)
Image from the Lockheed Martin Corporation released to the public.

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