Commander Curt Renshaw Blue Team Leader, Littoral Combat Ship 2

摘要

While US Navy Commander Curt Renshaw awaits the launch of the General Dynamics-designed and Austal-built Littoral Combat Ship 2 (LCS 2) Independence, he and his crew are busy moulding themselves to meet the standards of the motto they chose for the 3,000-ton trimaran: Independence Through Bold Action.rnIndependence is one of two competing platforms for the US Navy's 55-vessel LCS programme, its rival being Lockheed Martin's LCS 1 monohull, Freedom, which was launched in September 2006. Following Independence's anticipated launch early in 2008, both ships will be outfitted with identical mine warfare modular mission packages to allow side-by-side testing and comparison.rnCdr Renshaw assumed leadership of the Blue Team for Independence in December 2005; a Gold Team under Cdr David Haas is also training to man the vessel and will rotate in after the Blue Team.rnThe ship's aluminium trimaran hullform, which is based on a fast commercial ferry design, means that the two teams have not had many opportunities to simulate at-sea situations on board similar vessels.