USS Billings (LCS-15) is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy.[4] She is the first ship in naval service named after Billings, Montana.[7]
USS Billings conducting trials on Lake Michigan on 6 December 2018
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History | |
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United States | |
Name | Billings |
Namesake | Billings |
Awarded | 29 December 2010[4] |
Builder | Marinette Marine[4] |
Laid down | 2 November 2015[4] |
Launched | 1 July 2017[1] |
Sponsored by | Sharla Tester |
Christened | 1 July 2017 |
Acquired | 1 February 2019[2] |
Commissioned | 3 August 2019[3] |
Homeport | Mayport |
Identification |
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Motto |
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Status | Active |
Badge | |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Freedom-class littoral combat ship |
Displacement | 3,500 metric tons (3,900 short tons) full load[6] |
Length | 378.3 ft (115.3 m) |
Beam | 57.4 ft (17.5 m) |
Draft | 13.0 ft (4.0 m) |
Propulsion | 2 Rolls-Royce MT30 36 MW gas turbines, 2 Colt-Pielstick diesel engines, 4 Rolls-Royce waterjets |
Speed | 45 knots (52 mph; 83 km/h) (sea state 3) |
Range | 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 18 knots (21 mph; 33 km/h)[5] |
Endurance | 21 days (336 hours) |
Boats & landing craft carried | 11 m RHIB, 40 ft (12 m) high-speed boats |
Complement | 15 to 50 core crew, 75 mission crew (Blue and Gold crews) |
Armament |
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Aircraft carried | |
Aviation facilities | Flight deck, hangar |
Notes | Electrical power is provided by 4 Isotta Fraschini V1708 diesel engines with Hitzinger generator units rated at 800 kW each. |
In 2002, the U.S. Navy initiated a program to develop the first of a fleet of littoral combat ships.[8] The Navy initially ordered two monohull ships from Lockheed Martin, which became known as the Freedom-class littoral combat ships after the first ship of the class, USS Freedom.[8][9] Odd-numbered U.S. Navy littoral combat ships are built using the Freedom-class monohull design, while even-numbered ships are based on a competing design, the trimaran hull Independence-class littoral combat ship from General Dynamics.[8] The initial order of littoral combat ships involved a total of four ships, including two of the Freedom-class design.[8] Billings is the eighth Freedom-class littoral combat ship to be built.
Billings includes additional stability improvements over the original Freedom design; the stern transom was lengthened and buoyancy tanks were added to the stern to increase weight service and enhance stability.[10] The ship will also feature automated sensors to allow "conditions-based maintenance" and reduce crew overwork and fatigue issues that Freedom had on her first deployment.[11]
Marinette Marine was awarded the contract to build the ship on 4 March 2013.[4] Construction began on 20 October 2014 and she was launched on 1 July 2017.[1] she is homeported to Naval Station Mayport, Florida and assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron Two. In June 2019, Billings visited Cleveland, Ohio.[12] Billings sustained damage after hitting Rosaire Desgagnes, a bulk cargo ship in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The incident occurred on 24 June 2019. The vessel's starboard bridge wing was damaged as a result of the collision.[13] Billings was officially commissioned in Key West, Florida on 3 August 2019.[3]
On the 4 July 2021, a contingent of her crew visited their ship’s namesake city to celebrate Independence Day.[14] Later on the 10th of the same month, the ship together with the Dominican Republic Navy conducted a passing exercise (PASSEX).[15] 24 August, Billings and Burlington were dispatched to support and provide relief to Haiti after a 7.2-magnitute earthquake that struck Haiti on 14 August.[16]