Repaired LCS arrives at shipyard

JACKSONVILLE, FLa. — USS Milwaukee (LCS-5), a San Diego-based littoral combat ship (LCS) built in Marinette, arrived at the BAE Systems shipyard in Mayport, Fla., on Friday.
The ship left Norfolk, Va. on Wednesday after having completed initial engineering repairs on its propulsion system.
An investigation has been ongoing since the USS Milwaukee experienced a loss of propulsion while under way in December. Currently, officials believe the breakdown was due to a likely failure of an emergency stop event in response to a loss of fuel pressure to both the port and starboard gas turbine engines, which occurred while operating in combined diesel and gas turbine mode.
Though the USS Milwaukee is a San Diego-based ship, it is currently manned with a Mayport-based team — LCS Crew 108.
“Crew 108 sailors are thrilled to finally arrive in our new homeport and reunite with our families,” said Commander Kevin Ralston, the USS Milwaukee’s commanding officer. “It’s been a long journey to get here, but I couldn’t be happier with my crew’s performance and their efforts to get Milwaukee ready for sea.”
In addition to support staff ashore, the USS Milwaukee will be fully manned with about 50 personnel who will operate navigation systems and engineering control technology. At the BAE shipyard, it will take on equipment for underway testing this spring, before eventually arriving in its San Diego homeport.
Mayport, Fla. is scheduled to be the home of eight Freedom-variant LCS and 12 LCS crews, starting with the USS Little Rock (LCS-9).
The Freedom variant, manufactured by Lockheed Martin and Marinette Marine Corp. in Marinette, features “high-speed, agile, shallow-draft and networked surface ships which are open-ocean capable but are designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance in the coastal water battlespaces,” according to the U.S. Navy. “These ships bring great capability and flexibility to the surface fleet,” the Navy said in a news release Monday.