MANILA -US Navy’s littoral combat ship, the USS Forthworth (LCS-3) has arrived in Cebu Sunday. This was the ship’s second port call as they transit back to their homeport of San Diego, California.
LCS is designed to satisfy the urgent requirement for shallow draft vessels to operate in the littoral (coastal waters) to counter growing potential ‘asymmetric’ threats of coastal mines, quiet diesel submarines and the potential to carry explosives and terrorists on small, fast, armed boats.
The LCS is a class of relatively small surface vessels intended for operations in the littoral zone (close to shore) by the United States Navy.
It was “envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals.”
While in Cebu, sailors on board the USS Fort Worth will get the opportunity to enjoy a few days of rest, as well as participate in multiple cultural engagements, while the ship conducts refueling operations and unloads stores.
“Our overall mission of the stop is to receive the fuel we need to continue our voyage home,” USS Forthworth skipper Cmdr. Michael Brasseur said.
US Navy USS Coronado (LCS-4), the sister ship of USS Forthworth (LCS-3)
“But once again, we are honored to get the opportunity to serve as ambassadors for our warship and our country while visiting the Philippines,” he added.
Sailors onboard the USS Forth Worth have been working very hard during the first few weeks of her transit across the Pacific Ocean.
They are looking forward to taking a few days off to experience the local community and participate in many of the activities the country offers.
USS Fort Worth has been deployed to the US 7th Fleet for more than 18 months, completing many multilateral exercises and participating in evolutions such as the AirAsia flight QZ8501recovery efforts.
The US 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations.
As the US Navy’s largest numbered fleet, 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build maritime partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability and prevent conflict.
(PNA)
LGI/PFN
