Freedom class LCS Ship Brief (Patreon)

The Freedom class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) is a class of small surface vessels designed for operations close to shore. They are designed to be fast, highly maneuverable, and capable of operating in shallow waters. The Freedom class LCS is approximately 118 meters long and has a displacement of around 3,000 tons.

These ships are modular in design, allowing them to be reconfigured for different missions, such as anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, and surface warfare. They are equipped with a variety of sensors and weapons, including a 57mm naval gun, a Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher for defense against anti-ship missiles, and a variety of small arms.

The Freedom class LCS is powered by a combined diesel and gas (CODAG) propulsion system, which includes two diesel engines and two gas turbines. This provides the ship with a top speed of over 40 knots (74 km/h) and a range of approximately 4,300 nautical miles (7,964 km) at a cruising speed of 18 knots (33 km/h).