US Navy commissions Independence class LCS USS Santa Barbara.

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.