According to information published by the US DoD on March 31, 2023, the Navy commissioned the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) as the newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) during a ceremony in Port Hueneme, Calif.
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Independence class Littoral Combat Ship USS Santa Barbara. (Picture source: US DoD)
The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom and the Independence, designed and built by two industry teams. Austal USA leads the Independence-variant team in Mobile, Al., for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls, including the future USS Santa Barbara. Lockheed Martin leads the Freedom-variant team, the odd-numbered hulls, in Marinette, Wis.
Littoral Combat Ships are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats.
LCS integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence missions around the globe.
Technical Data
USS Santa Barbara has a displacement of 2,307 metric tons when light, 3,104 metric tons when full, and a deadweight of 797 metric tons. The ship is 127.4 meters (418 feet) in length, 31.6 meters (104 feet) in beam, and has a draft of 14 feet (4.27 meters).
The USS Santa Barbara is powered by 2 gas turbines, 2 diesel engines, 4 waterjets, a retractable azimuth thruster, and 4 diesel generators, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph) and a sprint speed of 47 knots (54 mph; 87 km/h). The ship has a range of 4,300 nautical miles (8,000 km; 4,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) and can carry up to 210 tonnes.
The ship has a crew of 40 core members, including 8 officers and 32 enlisted personnel, with the ability to carry up to 35 mission crew members. The USS Santa Barbara is equipped with Sea Giraffe 3D Surface/Air RADAR, Bridgemaster-E Navigational RADAR, and AN/KAX-2 EO/IR sensor for GFC, as well as an EDO ES-3601 ESM and 4 SRBOC rapid bloom chaff launchers for electronic warfare and decoy purposes.
The armament of the USS Santa Barbara includes a BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm gun, 4 .50 cal (12.7 mm) guns (2 aft, 2 forward), and an Evolved SeaRAM 11 cell missile launcher.
The ship also has the capability to carry out missions with the use of mission modules and can carry 2 MH-60R/S Seahawks and an MQ-8 Fire Scout for aircraft purposes.
