Ship

Ship’s Motto – “JE SUIS PREST,” which translates to “I Am Ready,” represents the motto emblazoned on Ms. Giffords’ family coat of arms. The phrase connects to naval heritage, preparedness, and her willingness to serve. The LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking, and win against 21st-century coastal threats such as submarines, mines, and swarming small craft.

The Independence variant of LCS is a high-speed, shallow draft, multi-mission ship that is designed to operate in coastal areas around the world. As a key part of the U.S. Navy fleet, they are highly maneuverable and configurable to support mine detection/elimination, anti-submarine, and surface ship warfare.

The trimaran hull on ships like USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) provides the ship with superior seaworthiness, fuel efficiency, survivability and the capacity to carry a large, modular cache of weapons packages. Minimally manned LCS Crews place high demands on Sailors and requires each member of the crew to perform a number of tasks well outside of their traditional rating. Each LCS Sailor is highly trained, receiving extensive formal education and qualification before they report aboard. This training, often lasting 6-12 months, produces highly proficient Sailors.

LCS 10 Sailors have persistently worked to ensure they possess the qualifications and certifications in order to commission her into active duty. We have highly trained and dedicated Sailors working 24 hours a day, seven days a week to bring this ship to life. They are the lifeblood of USS Gabrielle Giffords.
Increased automation equals a smaller crew. In the case of LCS 10, that is a core of 50 officers and enlisted personnel.

LCS employs a Blue/Gold crew model which alternates manning the ship. This concept also creates six divisions (three per coast) comprised of four ships of the same variant--including one as a dedicated training ship, which is manned by a single crew vice rotating crews. The training ship in each division will remain in the United States and operate in local areas to certify the six Blue/Gold crews that will operate the three deployed LCSs of each division. Each division will have a single warfare focus; the Blue/Gold crews and MM crews will be fused. This approach provides more forward presence with a better blend of ownership, stability and increased training for each of the crews, while the divisions have improved oversight and reinforcement of the operational focus.

The Surface Force is going on the offensive, focusing once again on Sea Control by implementing the concept of Distributed Lethality. We are looking at every ship as a potential offensive weapons platform, we are operating them in new and novel ways, and we are putting potential adversaries on the defensive while making them work harder to find and target us.

Your U.S. Navy is the world’s premiere naval force because of the dedicated service of our young men and women stationed across the globe as well as the vital support from our family members at home.

The highly professional men and women serving aboard USS Gabrielle Giffords are some of our nation’s best and brightest, and are typical of the talented Sailors on duty in our Navy around the world today.

We are prepared to go into harm’s way, properly trained and ready to carry out our orders in defense of our nation’s freedom.