Littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) stopped in Guam to refuel before continuing on to Southeast Asia, Dec. 11.
Fort Worth is on her maiden 16-month rotational deployment in support of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
Building on USS Freedom’s (LCS 1) inaugural 10-month deployment from March to December 2013, Fort Worth will expand LCS operations to include visiting more ports, engaging more regional navies during exercises like Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training and expanding LCS capabilities with tools like the MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned autonomous helicopter.
Fort Worth is deployed with an embarked aviation detachment from Helicopter Maritime Squadron (HSM) 35, the Navy’s first composite expeditionary helicopter squadron. The detachment comprises one MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and one MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned autonomous helicopter, marking the first time both assets have deployed together aboard an LCS. Fire Scout will complement the MH-60R by extending the HSM-35’s range and endurance thereby enhancing maritime domain awareness.
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Press release, Image: US Navy