USS Freedom ( LCS - 1 ) USS " Freedom " ( LCS 1 ) is the lead ship of the " Freedom " class of littoral combat ship s ( LCS ) . She is the third vessel of the United States Navy to be so named for the concept of freedom . She is the design competitor produced by the Lockheed Martin consortium , in competition with the General Dynamics - designed USS " Independence " . She was officially accepted by the Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast on behalf of the US Navy from the Lockheed Martin / Marinette Marine / Gibbs and Cox team in Marinette , WI on 18 September 2008 . She is designed for a variety of missions in shallow waters , capable against submarines and ships , as well as minesweeping and humanitarian relief . The ship is a semi - planing monohull design capable of over . Commissioned in Milwaukee , Wisconsin on 8 November 2008 , USS " Freedom " is home - ported in San Diego . Design . The USS " Freedom " is the first of two dramatically different LCS designs being produced ; the other , USS " Independence " ( LCS 2 ) , is a trimaran built by a team led by General Dynamics ' Bath Iron Works and Austal USA in Mobile , Alabama . USS " Freedom " is designed to be a fast , maneuverable and networked surface combatant for missions such as anti - mine warfare , anti - submarine warfare , surface warfare and humanitarian relief . The ship is a semi - planing steel monohull with an aluminum superstructure . The friction stir welded aluminum deckhouse is very flat , which , combined with an angular design , makes it difficult for radar systems to spot . The ship is in length , displaces 3 , 000 metric tons ( 2950 metric tons ) and can go faster than . The design incorporates a large reconfigurable seaframe to allow rapidly interchangeable mission modules , a flight deck with integrated helicopter launch , recovery and handling system and the capability to launch and recover boats ( manned and unmanned ) from both the stern and side . The flight deck is 1 . 5 times the size of that of a standard surface ship , and uses a Trigon traversing system to move helicopters in and out of the hangar . The ship has two ways to launch and recover various mission packages : a stern ramp and a starboard side door near the waterline . The mission module bay has a 3 - axis crane for positioning modules or cargo . The fore deck has a modular weapons zone which can be used for a 57 mm gun turret or missile launcher . A Rolling Airframe Missile launcher is mounted above the hangar for short - range defense against aircraft and cruise missiles , and . 50 - caliber gun mounts are provided topside . The core crew will be 40 sailors , usually joined by a mission package crew and an aviation detachment for a total crew of about 75 . Automation allows a reduced crew , which greatly reduces operating costs , but workload can still be " grueling . " Four 750 - kilowatt Fincantieri Isotta - Fraschini diesel generators provide 3 megawatts of electrical power to power the ship systems . " Freedom " has relaxed stability so it can rapidly change course . Concept of operations . The operational concept includes deployment of a two or three - ship squadron to operate in the littorals to counter anti - access forces and to support the operations of US Navy and other friendly surface ships . The operational concept is in direct support of the Navy ' s Maritime Strategy , " A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower . " Principal capabilities include shallow - water anti - submarine warfare , mine countermeasures and defense against attacking small boats . LCS ships are to be networked to share tactical information with other units . " Freedom " will be initially based in San Diego with two crews which will alternate four - month tours of sea duty . The Congressional Budget Office estimates that fuel will account for only " 8 percent to 18 percent " of the total life - cycle costs for " Freedom " . Senator Jeff Sessions has called the report into question and has suggested that " Independence " , built in his state , would be more fuel efficient and that less frequent refuelings would have an impact on military operations beyond the cost of fuel . History . Construction . The construction contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin ' s LCS team ( Lockheed Martin , Gibbs & Cox , Marinette Marine , Bollinger Shipyards ) in May 2004 . Her keel was laid down on 2 June 2005 , by Marinette Marine in Marinette , Wisconsin . The ship was sponsored by Birgit Smith , the widow of United States Army Sergeant 1st Class Paul Ray Smith , who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in Operation Iraqi Freedom . Mrs . Smith ' s initials are welded on the ship ' s keel . The couple ' s Saint Christopher medal and wedding bands are embedded in the ship ' s mast . The USS " Freedom " was christened on 23 September 2006 , delivered to the Navy on 18 September 2008 , and commissioned in Milwaukee on 8 November . Cost overruns during " Freedom " s construction combined with projected future overruns led the government to issue a " Stop - work " in January 2007 . On 25 April 2008 the " New York Times " ran a highly critical article , arguing that both " Freedom " and competitor " Independence " demonstrated a failure of the Navy ' s littoral combat ship program . Prior to delivery , the Navy ' s Board of Inspection and Survey ( INSURV ) conducted acceptance trials aboard LCS - 1 , 17 – 21 August . INSURV found the ship to be " capable , well - built and inspection - ready " and recommended that the Chief of Naval Operations authorize delivery of the ship . Because the trials were conducted in Lake Michigan , some ship systems , including aviation and combat systems , could not be demonstrated . Systems not demonstrated during recent trials will be presented to INSURV in early 2009 trials in Norfolk and in the open ocean . The inspection discovered 2 , 600 total discrepancies , of which 21 were considered high - priority deficiencies . " As part of LCS 1 acceptance trials , the Navy ’ s Board of Inspection and Survey ( INSURV ) identified 21 critical “ starred ” deficiencies and recommended the Chief of Naval Operations authorize delivery of LCS - 1 after correction or waiver of these deficiencies . According to Navy officials , only 9 of these deficiencies were corrected prior to delivery . Navy officials report that transiting the ship away from Marinette , Wisconsin , prior to the winter freeze was a higher priority than timely correction of starred deficiencies . The Navy intends to correct remaining deficiencies during planned post - delivery maintenance availabilities . " One of the issues with the ship is that it is six percent overweight and therefore more likely to sink if damaged . This seems to have been caused by design changes during construction . The Navy says that the ship will require special operating procedures until this is corrected . The workaround selected will be to install external tanks for additional buoyancy . And the Navy states that LCS - 1 now meets the damage stability requirement with the addition of the external tanks and that the design of USS " Fort Worth " ( LCS - 3 ) includes additional stability improvements . Other issues include difficulty with the slow speed operations required for deep sea refueling , no ability to UNREP other supplies aboard other than by helicopter , and problems with side - door launches of remotely operated vehicles . On 12 June 2009 , the Navy confirmed that CNO Roughead had ordered a study of an early deployment of " Freedom " , before the expected date of 2012 . Anonymous sources inside Lockheed Martin reported that Roughead wanted to use the first LCS to patrol for pirates off the coast of Somalia . On 13 October 2009 , the Department of Defense announced " Freedom " would be deployed two years ahead of schedule . For this deployment 20 additional sailors will be carried for Visit , Board , Search , and Seizure operations in two shipping containers in the mission module cargo area . These containers will not include sanitary facilities , so they will be forced to use the ones in the ship ' s berthing spaces . About half of the 20 member boarding team will be temporarily replaced with United States Coast Guard law enforcement officers for some portion of the deployment . John C . Harvey , Jr . said that while the deployment was a success , manning may need adjustment . Operations . In her limited time at sea , " Freedom " has been " plagued by flawed designs and failed equipment since being commissioned , has at least 17 known cracks , and has repeatedly been beset by engine - related failures . " On 15 February 2010 , " Freedom " set sail from Naval Station Mayport on its first deployment to support SOUTHCOM operations . On 22 February , off the coast of Colombia , the ship pursued a possible drug - running boat . The boat fled back into Colombian coastal waters and " Freedom ' s " crew recovered 1 / 4 ton of cocaine that had been dumped overboard by the boat ' s crew . On 4 April 2010 " Freedom " entered the 3rd Fleet area of responsibility ; carrying Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 22 , Det . 2 , a LCS Surface Warfare Mission Package , and a U . S . Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment . She was expected to be dry docked in San Diego ’ s Nassco shipyard so that her outer starboard waterjet can be replaced . On 12 September 2010 , the starboard Rolls - Royce MT30 gas turbine broke down and the ship had to rely on her diesel engines to return to port . Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead said that the media had overhyped the issue and that such breakdowns were not uncommon . During a heavy - weather ocean trial in February 2011 , the ship sprung a six - inch crack in its hull that leaked 5 gallons of water an hour . The Navy is investigating . The problem appears to be due to faulty welds rather than a design error . The repairs were scheduled to begin on 27 June 2011 , and last until 19 September . On February 2012 , " Freedom " suffered minor flooding while underway off Southern California . An inflatable boot seal was deployed in a successful effort to contain the flooding , and the ship returned to San Diego on its own power . This marks a return to the dry dock before the ship even completed its last post - repair shakedown . A " special trial " conducted in May 2012 found the ship fit for the deployment . In July 2012 " Freedom " was dry docked in order to expand berthing by 20 and for firefighting and boat handling improvements . After another docking to apply a new paint scheme and apply yet another fix for the aft ramp , she will depart for Singapore with a core crew of 50 plus 3 trainees , plus a mission crew with berthing for 98 . Additional crew above that level will again be bedded in the cargo spaces . On 15 January 2013 , the Defense Department ’ s director of operational test and evaluation released a judgement of the LCS in an annual study . The report said that the USS Freedom was " not expected to be survivable " in combat . Helicopters onboard the ship cannot tow its mine - hunting sensors , so it must rely on unmanned systems for mine countermeasures , although those systems are not in service , and will not be for several years . Its 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II s " exhibit reliability problems . " The Mk 110 57 mm gun is differently designed on the Freedom Class , which cause vibrations at high speeds that make accurate firing difficult . The integrated weapons systems and air / surface search radar have “ performance deficiencies ” that affect the ship ’ s “ tracking and engagement of contacts . ” In early 2013 the vessel took part in the National Geographic TV show " 21st Century Warship " along with USS Independence . The show premiered in the UK on the 10th of February 2013 . " Freedom " left for a 10 month deployment to Singapore in March 2013 . On 11 March 2013 , " Freedom " became the first LCS to reach Hawaii . And on March 16 the ship ' s diesel engines , which have had years of problems , shut down in mid - ocean , leaving the ship adrift . On April 18 , the " Freedom " arrived at the Changi Naval Base in Singapore , set to participate in joint military exercises . On May 18 – 19 , " Freedom " participated in the Republic of Singapore Navy Open House 2013 at Changi Naval Base . Visitors to the Open House were allowed to board and visit " Freedom " . On May 21 , " Freedom ' s " first venture from Singapore harbor was cut short by yet another equipment breakdown , followed on 20 July 2013 by yet another breakdown requiring a return to port .