WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Freedom Variant is a small, fast, single-haul warship that is designed to operate in shallow coastal zones or in open-ocean with firepower comparable to larger Navy vessels, according to Lockheed Martin.
"During the builder's trials, the industry team successfully demonstrated reliability and performance improvements on the ship's propulsion system," the release stated. "All future Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships will incorporate these improvements."
Lockheed Martin has already delivered the four Freedom model Littoral Combat Ships to the Navy, while the future Little Rock is one of eight ships in various stages of construction, the release said.
