USS Freedom is enjoying the island life. Following its first stop in Hawaii, the nation’s first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), built by a Lockheed Martin-led team, stopped in Guam March 28 as part of its eight-month deployment to Southeast Asia.
The visit marked Freedom’s first to a port in the U.S. 7th Fleet’s area of responsibility. During Freedom’s stay in Guam, Navy and industry teams will perform routine maintenance and give ship tours. Dozens of crew members will also volunteer their time to support several community service projects.
The 7th Fleet is responsible for more than 48 million square miles from west of the international date line to the western coast of India. Freedom joins approximately 100 ships and submarines assigned to 7th Fleet on any given day to cover this area.
During its current deployment, Freedom will also participate in the International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) in Singapore May 14-16 and select phases of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training exercise in Southeast Asia.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, April 2, 2013; Image: Lockheed Martin