Littoral Warship USS Gabrielle Giffords Returns After 17-Month Deployment

San Diego CA

01 February, 2021

4:47 PM

Description

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego February 1, 2021 The littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords returned to Naval Base San Diego on Sunday after a 17-month deployment with rotating crews. The warship, which is a trimaran variant of the littoral series, completed freedom-of-navigation patrols with the 7th fleet in the South China Sea and counter-narcotics missions with an embarked Coast Guard detachment in the 4th Fleet area of the eastern Pacific. In December, the Navy reported the ship intercepted a low-profile smuggling boat, seizing an estimated 2,810 kilograms of cocaine valued at $106 million. "I am incredibly proud of the Gabrielle Giffords team and all they have accomplished," said Cmdr. Rion Martin, the ship's commanding officer. "This dynamic team of sailors, coast guardsmen and Marines demonstrated sustained superior performance with physical, mental and emotional toughness while executing a range of maritime operations. " Littoral combat ships are fast, stealthy surface vessels capable of operating in the littoral regions of the world. The 400-foot-long ships carry a main cannon, missiles and two helicopters. Over a dozen of the new warships will ultimately be based in San Diego. Times of San Diego is an independent online news site covering the San Diego metropolitan area. Our journalists report on politics, crime, business, sports, education, arts, the military and everyday life in San Diego. No subscription is required, and you can sign up for a free daily newsletter with a summary of the latest news.