USS Fort Worth Completes Second Round of Builder’s Trials

The future USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) successfully completed the second round of builder’s trials, April 4, in preparation for the ship’s acceptance trials scheduled for late April.

The focus of builder’s trials is to measure ship and system performance and identify possible construction discrepancies prior to demonstration to the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey. The ship conducted the first round of builder’s trials in October 2011.

During the two-day trial, Marinette Marine Corp. conducted comprehensive tests intended to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship handling and auxiliary systems.

“This was a great opportunity to test and operate all our shipboard systems,” said LCS Program Manager Capt. John Neagley. “The Navy and industry team have done a great job preparing the ship for builders trials. We look forward to presenting this ship to INSURV during acceptance trials.”

Following acceptance trials, LCS 3 is to be delivered to the Navy in June.

LCS is a fast, agile, focused-mission ship designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.

In addition to Fort Worth, Milwaukee (LCS 5) is under construction at the Marinette Marine Corp. shipyard, and Coronado (LCS 4) and Jackson (LCS 6) are under construction at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala.

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Naval Today Staff , April 06, 2012; Image: navy