US Navy Decommissions Freedom-Class Littoral Combat Ship USS Fort Worth After Years Of Using It As Test Platform

The U.S. Navy has decommissioned the Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), retiring one of the early ships in the class as the service shifts focus toward upgrading its remaining Littoral Combat Ship fleet.

The decommissioning ceremony took place on July 29 at Naval Base San Diego, marking the end of Fort Worth’s service as both an operational warship and a test platform.

The ship was the second Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship built and had originally been expected to remain in service for at least another 11 years.

During its service, USS Fort Worth and its crew helped the Navy develop the operational configuration and deployment capabilities of the Littoral Combat Ship programme.

The ship was used to test equipment, tactics and concepts that supported the development of today’s LCS fleet.

Former Secretary of the Navy Gordon England delivered the main address at the ceremony. Other speakers included Rear Adm. Matthew Kawas, the ship sponsor’s proxy Jill J.R. Labbe, and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Warren Cupps.

Fort Worth’s final commanding officer, Cmdr. Dana Canby, thanked the ship’s crew, known as the “Rough Riders”, for their service and dedication.

“To the last Rough Riders, I’m incredibly proud of the work you’ve put into the ship through really challenging circumstances,” Canby said, adding that the crew would continue contributing to the Navy in future assignments.

USS Fort Worth was part of the Navy’s Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship programme. The LCS class includes two variants, Freedom and Independence, which were designed and built by separate industry teams.

Freedom-class ships were built in Marinette, Wisconsin, while Austal USA leads construction of the Independence-class ships in Mobile, Alabama.

The Littoral Combat Ship programme was designed to provide fast, mission-focused surface combatants capable of operating in near-shore and open-ocean environments. The ships support missions including maritime security, sea control, forward presence and deterrence operations.

Fort Worth was among four LCS ships redesignated as test platforms in 2016 after the Navy changed its approach to mission packages. The service moved toward assigning specific roles to each variant, with Freedom-class ships focused on antisubmarine warfare and Independence-class ships focused on mine countermeasure operations.

The first two ships in each class were converted into non-deploying test assets to evaluate equipment and tactics for those missions.

In 2019, the Navy proposed retiring all four test ships as part of a cost-saving measure. The retirement plans later expanded, with then-Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday proposing in 2022 that the first nine Freedom-class hulls be decommissioned after the class’s sonar package failed to mature.

USS Fort Worth is now one of six Littoral Combat Ships to leave active service. The others are USS Sioux City, USS Little Rock, USS Detroit, USS Milwaukee and USS Freedom. USS Sioux City, the youngest among them, served for less than five years before being retired.

The Freedom-class has faced several issues during its service life, including high contractor maintenance costs, increased crew workload, high underwater radiated noise, questions over shock tolerance and survivability, and a propulsion problem affecting the class. The propulsion issue was addressed through a revised gearbox installed on newer ships.

Despite these challenges, Freedom-class ships have supported Coast Guard counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. However, their high fuel consumption has increased operating costs and reduced their range compared with purpose-built patrol cutters.

The Navy said retiring early test ships like Fort Worth will allow funding to be redirected toward improving the remaining LCS fleet with enhanced capabilities.

The final Freedom-class ship, USS Cleveland, was delivered in May. The shipbuilder has since shifted focus toward other U.S. Navy priority projects as the service continues adjusting its Littoral Combat Ship strategy.

Reference: US Navy