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Littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS-13)

Littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS-13) 0Littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS-13) 1Littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS-13) 2Littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS-13) 3Littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS-13) 4Littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS-13) 5Littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS-13) 6Littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS-13) 7

Classification

Ship class:
Freedom-class littoral combat ship
Type:
Littoral combat ship

Basic information

Namesake:
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, it is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area which had an estimated population of 644,610 in 2015.
Operator:
United States NavyUnited States Navy
Country of build:
Builder:
Marinette Marine
Ordered:
Laid down:
Launched:
Commissioned (service):
Status:
Active
MMSI number:
369970969

Ship measurements

Displacement:
3,500 t
Length:
115.3 m
Beam:
17.5 m
Draft:
4 m

Machine

Propulsion system:
CODAG
Propulsion:
  • 2 * Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines (2 * 48000 hp / 36 MW)
  • 2 * Colt-Pielstick 16PA6B diesel engines (2 * 9100 hp / 6.8 MW)
  • 4 * Rolls-Royce Kamewa 153SII waterjets; 2 steerable
  • 4 * Isotta Fraschini V1708 diesel engines
  • Hitzinger generator units 800 kW, each
Speed:
45 knots
Range:
3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h)

Personnel

Complement:
125
Ship's company:
50
Mission crew:
75

Combat assets

Boats & landing craft:
  • 1 * 11 m RHIB
  • 1 * 12 m high-speed boats
Electronics:
  • EADS North America TRS-3D air and surface search radar
  • Lockheed Martin COMBATSS-21 combat management system
  • AN/SQR-20 Multi-Function Towed Array (as part of ASW mission module)
  • Argon ST WBR-2000 ESM system
  • Terma A/S SKWS decoy system
Armament:
  • 1 * BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm gun, 400 rounds in turret & two ready service magazines with 240 rounds each
  • 1 * Mk 49 launcher with 21 * RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Surface-to-Air Missiles
  • 4 * .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns / 2 * 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II guns (part of SUW module)
  • 24 * AGM-114L Hellfire missiles (planned part of SUW module)
Aircraft:
  • 1 * MH-60R/S Seahawk helicopter
  • 2 * MQ-8B Fire Scouts or 1 * MQ-8C Fire Scout

USS Wichita (LCS-13) will be a Freedom-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy. It will be the third ship named after Wichita, the largest city in Kansas. The ceremonial “laying of the keel” was on 9 February 2015, at Marinette, Wisconsin. Sponsored by Kate Lehrer, wife of Wichita native Jim Lehrer, the ship was christened and launched on 17 September 2016. The naval crest of the ship incorporates elements of the Wichita flag, along with a buffalo skull and feathers representing the Native American heritage and wheat to reflect the state of Kansas's main crop. She is assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron TWO. The ship was acquired by the US Navy from Lockheed Martin and the Marinette Marine shipyard on 22 August 2018 along with USS Sioux City in a double delivery.

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