The littoral combat ship USS Coronado is scheduled to depart from San Diego on Wednesday for an exercise then deploy to the western Pacific Ocean, the Navy announced Monday.
The deployment is the first for the Coronado, a futuristic, trimaran vessel that was commissioned two years ago.
Coronado and its crew of about 70 sailors will participate in the multi-nation Rim of the Pacific exercise, known as RIMPAC.
“This ship will play a critical role in the fleet and in our nation’s defense,” said Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, U.S. Third Fleet commander. “RIMPAC provides a good opportunity for our partner navies to work with the ship and see how it can contribute to collective regional security.”
Littoral combat ships are fast, agile vessels designed for operating in coastal waters. There are two variants, the trimaran Independence type like the Coronado, and the single-hull Freedom type, like the San Diego-based USS Fort Worth. The latter type has been plagued by mechanical breakdowns.
Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, based at Naval Air Station North Island, will deploy with the ship with the MQ-8 Fire Scout drone helicopter.
City News Service contributed to this article.
