The ship’s engineering department dedicated hours to the repair and testing, while the supply department ensured rapid delivery of equipment to support the work. Lt. Cmdr. Jasmine Hilton, chief engineer of St. Louis, said: “I am beyond proud of all the hard work the St. Louis team has demonstrated over the past few weeks. They have shown exceptional professional curiosity, truly embodying becoming masters of their equipment.”
She added: “The LCS community as a whole has been working to build on enlisted technical expertise over the years, and these Sailors have proven that it can be done.” The effort reflects a wider two-year push to improve LCS self-sufficiency through enhanced training and positioning of high-demand spare parts onboard.
Cmdr. Lee Shewmake, commanding officer of St. Louis, highlighted the benefits, stating: “The engineering team has proven that with the right parts and tools, our Sailors have the technical knowledge and skills to maintain our equipment without dependence on off-hull support. That allows them not only to conduct preventive work but also corrective maintenance when needed. The Freedom-variant class was originally designed to utilize contractors and off-ship personnel to conduct routine repairs and maintenance throughout the ship.”
Capt. Mark Haney, commodore of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron Two, emphasised the broader impact: “This is just the most recent example in a two-year community effort to improve self-sufficiency across Freedom-variant LCS warships. Every Freedom deployer over the last two years has delivered increased operational availability and capability from the previous one. At every iteration we are delivering a more capable warship to Fleet Commanders to conduct missions they are ideally suited for, like the two Freedom LCS currently in 2nd and 4th Fleet, while freeing up other Navy surface assets for key missions across the globe.”
USS St. Louis is currently deployed in the U.S. Second Fleet area of operations with an embarked Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment, supporting counter-illicit drug trafficking missions and engaging in exercises with partner nations.
