The Navy proceeded to investigate, the problem appearing to be due to faulty welds rather than a design error.On 15 January 2013, the U.S. Defense Department's director of operational test and evaluation released a judgement of the LCS in an annual study. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft.

The ship has two ways to launch and recover various mission packages: a stern ramp and a starboard side door near the waterline. The TRS-4D is an AESA radar built by Airbus Defense and Space that is similar to the one on German F125-class frigates, the difference being the LCS will have a rotating version instead of a fixed panel, the first AESA rotating radar aboard a U.S. Navy ship. USS Freedom (LCS-1) is the lead ship of the Freedom class of littoral combat ships (LCS). The operational concept is in direct support of the U.S. Navy's Maritime Strategy, "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower. Lockheed Martin proposed the Freedom class of littoral combat ship based on a semi-planing monohull design.
This seems to have been caused by design changes during construction.

ESPN's show "First Take" was broadcast live from the flight deck of the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1), Nov. 6. PCU Montgomery (LCS 8) - under constructionARYSE, a small business, has developed an ankle support that protects the joint as the user moves through rough...Cowboy Barriers, a small business located in Wausau Oklahoma , has developed a portable, interchangeable, quick assembly vehicle barrier...Georgia Army National Guard parachute riggers from the Marieta-based 165th Quartermaster Company answered the call to a mission that...The 159 crewmembers onboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star (WAGB 10) completed the escort of three refuel and...No matter the threat, Marines face it down with ingenuity and determination. Starting with LCS-17, the Freedom-class ships will be equipped with the TRS-4D naval radar. Automation allows a reduced crew, which greatly reduces operating costs, but workload can still be "grueling. The Freedom and Independence variant of the Littoral Combat Ship is the U.S. Navy’s newest warship and is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. PCU Jackson (LCS 6) - under construction

The Navy says that the ship will require special operating procedures until this is corrected.Other issues include difficulty with the slow speed operations required for deep sea refueling, no ability to On 13 October 2009, the Department of Defense announced She was expected to be dry docked in San Diego’s Nassco shipyard so that her outer starboard waterjet could be replaced.On 12 September 2010, the starboard Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine broke down and the ship had to rely on her diesel engines to return to port.During a heavy-weather ocean trial in February 2011, the ship developed a six-inch (150 mm) crack in its hull that leaked 5 US gallons (19 l) of water an hour. The LCS 1 and follow-on ships (LCS 3, LCS 5, LCS 7, etc.) Two ships were approved, t… The USS Freedom is the first of two dramatically different LCS designs being produced; the other, USS Independence (LCS 2), is a trimaran built by a team led by General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works and Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama. Despite initial plans to only build ships of the winner out of the two competing It was announced in early September 2016 that the first four vessels of the LCS program would be used as test ships rather than being deployed with the fleet.Planning for a class of small, multipurpose warships to operate in the littoral zone began in the early 2000s. Lockheed Martin LCS Team 300 M Street SE, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20003-3442 Phone: +1 (856) 206-3170. Business Development: Lockheed Martin Corporation LCS Business Development 300 M Street SE, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20003-3442 Phone: +1 (202) 863-3471
Marking the first of many planned rotational deployments to the Western Pacific for the LCS platform, Freedom is conducting maritime security operations with regional partners and allies.