Freedom-class littoral combat ship
The Freedom class is one of two classes of the littoral combat ship program, built for the United States Navy.
Freedom, showing a camouflage scheme, on sea trials in February 2013
Freedom in February 2013 showing her large helideck and a RAM launcher on the hangar
An MH-60 Seahawk helicopter approaching Freedom in 2009
A littoral combat ship (LCS) is either of two classes of relatively small surface vessels designed for near-shore operations by the United States Navy. It was "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals", although their ability to perform these missions in practice has been called into question.
The U.S. trimaran USS Independence
USS Freedom on sea trials in February 2013 before her first deployment
Aerial view of USS Freedom
Port-aft view of an Independence-class LCS