USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10)

Littoral Combat Ship / Amphibious Assault Vessel (2017)

Naval Warfare

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Image from the United States Navy; Released to the Public.

USS Gabrielle Giffords, named after the former U.S. Senator, was commissioned on June 10th, 2017 in Galveston, Texas.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/04/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) was awarded to Austal USA on March 16th, 2012. The keel was laid down on April 16th, 2014 and the vessel was put out to sea on February 26th, 2015. Christened in June of 2015, the warship was formally commissioned on June 10th, 2017 to begin its service life with the United States Navy. Belonging to the Independence-class "Littoral Combat Ship" group, USS Gabrielle Giffords is one of thirteen planned vessels. Five are in active service as of 2017.

The warship is named after the former U.S. Senator Gabrielle Giffords.

The Independence-class was born from an original Austal cruise ship plan focused on achieving high speeds (around 40 knots). As in this cruise ship plan, the militarized Independence-class also employs a trimaran hull with the bridge superstructure integrated into the contours of the ship. The bridge sits at center with a helideck over stern and a sharply tapered bow at front. The "Littoral Combat Ship" classification stems from the class' close-to-shore support design. The group is also given inherent stealth characteristics and showcase a small footprint.

The Giffords displaces 3,105 tons under load and showcases an overall length of 418 feet, a beam of 104 feet and a draught of 14 feet. Power is a combination system involving 2 x gas turbines with 2 x diesel units as well as 4 x waterjets (the latter for fine-tuned positioning). 4 x Diesel generators are also carried. Speeds in ideal conditions can reach some 47 knots and operational range is out to 4,300 nautical miles. The crew complement numbers 75 that includes forty base personnel and up to thirty-five mission-minded crewmen.

The vessel is outfitted with the Sea Giraffe 3D Surface/Air Search radar system and the Bridgemaster-E navigational assist radar. An AN/KAX-2 ED/IR sensor is also carried. Electronic warfare falls to an EDO ES-3601 ESM fit and four BAe Systems Mark 36 SRBOC rapid bloom chaff launchers are installed for enhanced point defense protection against inbound aerial threats.

Armament consists of a 57mm BAe Systems Mk 110 series turreted deck gun installed at the forecastle, an 11-cell Evolved SeaRAM missile bank and 4 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns.

The helideck supports up to 2 x Sikorsky MH-60R/S Seahawk (or similar) medium-lift navy helicopters. Additionally, the vessel has provisions for supporting the launching and retrieval of the Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout UAV helicopter.

Specifications

Service Year

2017

Origin

United States

Status

COMMISSIONED
In Active Service.

Complement

75
PERSONNEL

Austal USA - USA

(View other Ship-Related Manufacturers)

Class

Independence-class

Number-in-Class

13
VESSELS

Ships-in-Class

USS Indepedence (LCS-2); USS Cornado (LCS-4); USS Jackson (LCS-6); USS Montgomery (LCS-); USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10); USS Omaha (LCS-12); USS Manchester (LCS-14); USS Tulsa (LCS-16); USS Charleston (LCS-18); USS Cincinnati (LCS-20); USS Kansas City (LCS-22); USS Oakland (LCS-24); Unnamed Ship (LCS-26)

United States

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ 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.

Length

418.0 ft
127.41 m

Beam

104.0 ft
31.70 m

Draught

14.0 ft
4.27 m

Displacement

3,300
tons

Installed Power: 2 x MTU Friedichshafen 20V 8000 diesel engines with 2 x General Electric LM2500 gas turbines and 4 x diesel generators driving 2 x shafts; 4 x Wartsila waterjets; 1 x Retractable thruster at bow.

Surface Speed

44.0 kts
(50.6 mph)

Range

4,345 nm
(5,000 mi | 8,047 km)

1 x 57mm Mk 110 turreted deck gun

4 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns

1 x RIM-116 SeaRAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) 11-cell Close-In Weapon System (CIWS).

Supported Types

Graphical image of a modern warship turreted deck gun armament

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft heavy machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft Gatling-style rotating gun

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

2 x Sikorsky MH-60R/S Seahawk naval helicopters

1 x Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout UAV helicopter

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