USS Manchester (LCS-14)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Manchester.

USS Manchester on 5 December 2017
History
United States
Name	Manchester
Namesake	Manchester
Awarded	29 December 2010 [1]
Builder	Austal USA [1]
Laid down	29 June 2015 [2]
Launched	12 May 2016 [3]
Sponsored by	Jeanne Shaheen [2]
Christened	7 May 2016 [4]
Acquired	28 February 2018 [5]
Commissioned	26 May 2018 [6]
Homeport	San Diego
Motto	Labor Vincit (Work Wins)
Status	Active
Badge
General characteristics
Class & type	Independence-class littoral combat ship
Displacement	2,307 metric tons light, 3,104 metric tons full, 797 metric tons deadweight
Length	127.4 m (418 ft)
Beam	31.6 m (104 ft)
Draft	14 ft (4.27 m)
Propulsion	2× gas turbines, 2× diesel, 4× waterjets, retractable Azimuth thruster, 4× diesel generators
Speed	40 knots (74 km/h; 46 mph)+, 47 knots (54 mph; 87 km/h) sprint
Range	4,300 nautical miles (8,000 km; 4,900 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)+
Capacity	210 tonnes
Complement	53 core crew (11 officers, 42 enlisted) plus up to 35 mission crew
Sensors & processing systems	Sea Giraffe 3D Surface/Air RADAR Bridgemaster-E Navigational RADAR AN/KAX-2 EO/IR sensor for GFC
Electronic warfare & decoys	EDO ES-3601 ESM 4× SRBOC rapid bloom chaff launchers
Armament	BAE Systems Mk 110 57 mm gun 4× .50 cal (12.7 mm) guns (2 aft, 2 forward) Evolved SeaRAM 11 cell missile launcher Mission modules
Aircraft carried	2× MH-60R/S Seahawks

USS Manchester (LCS-14) is an Independence-class littoral combat ship in the United States Navy. She is the second ship to be named for Manchester, New Hampshire. ^{[7] [8]}

Design

In 2002, the United States Navy initiated a program to develop the first of a fleet of littoral combat ships. ^[9] The Navy initially ordered two trimaran hulled ships from General Dynamics, which became known as the Independence-class littoral combat ship after the first ship of the class, USS Independence. ^[9] Even-numbered U.S. Navy littoral combat ships are built using the Independence-class trimaran design, while odd-numbered ships are based on a competing design, the conventional monohull Freedom-class littoral combat ship. ^[9] The initial order of littoral combat ships involved a total of four ships, including two of the Independence-class design. ^[9] On 29 December 2010, the Navy announced that it was awarding Austal USA a contract to build ten additional Independence-class littoral combat ships. ^{[10] [11]}

Construction and career

The ship's keel was laid on 29 June 2015, at Mobile, Alabama. ^[2] The initials of New Hampshire senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ship's sponsor, were welded into the hull of Manchester during the traditional keel laying ceremony. Manchester was christened on 7 May 2016 and she was launched on 12 May 2016. ^{[3] [4]} Manchester was commissioned on 26 May 2018. ^[6]

She is assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. ^[12]

From March 2023 to 26 August 2023 a clandestine Wi-Fi network was operated for the benefit of the chiefs mess using a Starlink satellite dish. ^[13]

Awards

• Battle "E" – (2019)

References

1. "Manchester (LCS 14)". Naval Vessel Register . Retrieved 25 July 2016.
2. "Austal hosts keel laying for new Littoral Combat Ship Manchester (LCS 14)" (Press release). Austal USA. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
3. "Austal launches USS Manchester (LCS 14) at Alabama shipyard". Alabama Department of Commerce. 12 May 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
4. "USS Manchester Christened in Alabama". Military.com. 7 May 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
5. "Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Manchester (LCS 14)" (Press release). United States Navy. 1 March 2018. NNS180301-18. Archived from the original on 2 March 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
6. "USS Manchester Commissioned as Navy's Newest Surface Combatant" (Press release). United States Navy. 30 May 2018. NNS180530-09. Retrieved 30 May 2018.^{[ dead link ]}
7. "Secretary of the Navy Names Multiple Ships" (Press release). U.S. Department of Defense. 12 April 2013. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
8. "Navy decides to name new combat ship after the city of Manchester, NH". This Week in Raymond. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
9. "US Navy Fact File: Littoral Combat Ship Class – LCS". US Navy. Archived from the original on 12 June 2007. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
10. Special from Navy Office of Information (29 December 2010). "Littoral Combat Ship Contract Award Announced" (Press release). Navy News Service. NNS101229-09. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
11. Osborn, Kris (27 June 2014). "Navy Engineers LCS Changes". www.dodbuzz.com. Monster. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
12. "LCS Squadron 1". public.navy.mil. Retrieved 25 February 2018.^{[ dead link ]}
13. Correll, Diana (3 September 2024). "How Navy chiefs conspired to get themselves illegal warship Wi-Fi". Navy Times.

•  This article incorporates public domain material from Manchester (LCS-14) at the Naval Vessel Register .

External links

• Ship's website ^{[ dead link ]}