Sioux Metropolis Blue Crew, together with the “Sea Knights” of Helicopter Sea Fight Squadron (HSC) 22, Detachment 2, deployed on Apr. 25, 2022, changing into the primary LCS to function within the Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Crimson Sea, Gulf of Aden, Northern Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf.
The deployment offered a chance for Sioux Metropolis to realize expertise in each operational fleets. The ship’s dimension, pace, and agility allowed it to carry out maritime safety operations, theater safety cooperation engagements, and freedom of navigation patrols – protecting crucial maritime commerce routes open, deterring battle and coercion, and strengthening partnerships with different nations.
“I couldn’t be extra pleased with this ship and her crew,” stated Cmdr. Scott Whitworth, the commanding officer of Sioux Metropolis Blue Crew. “They made it look simple and day by day we embraced our ships motto, ‘Forging a New Frontier’.”
Sioux Metropolis participated in varied at-sea evolutions and operated alongside U.S. and allied items on a number of events, together with the Nimitz-class plane provider USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), two Egyptian Navy ships, the Italian Navy Cassiopea-class MM Patrol Boat “Vega” (P404) and a German Navy patrol plane (P3C).
The ship carried out a preventive upkeep availability (PMAV) at Naval Help Exercise Souda Bay, Greece in Might, efficiently undertaking the proof-of-concept for Ahead Deployed Regional Upkeep Middle’s (FDRMC) potential to conduct upkeep on the LCS class in Europe.
Following this PMAV, Sioux Metropolis entered the fifth Fleet space of operations and transited the Suez Canal to offer regional maritime safety and companion capability constructing within the Crimson Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden in help of the just lately established Mixed Activity Pressure (CTF) 153. CTF 153 is considered one of 4 multinational process forces organized beneath the Mixed Maritime Forces, the most important worldwide naval partnership on the earth, consisting of 34 nations.
“Sioux Metropolis’s arrival was not solely historic, however important to regional maritime safety given its instant integration with our new multinational naval process pressure,” stated Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. fifth Fleet and Mixed Maritime Forces.
The ship then transited the Strait of Hormuz alongside coastal patrol ship USS Thunderbolt (PC 12) and 4 U.S. Coast Guard cutters earlier than arriving at Naval Help Exercise Bahrain for an additional PMAV alternative, June 25, earlier than persevering with operations within the area.
After 39 days underway in fifth Fleet, the ship returned to the Mediterranean Sea, ultimately heading up north for a last PMAV interval in Fredericia, Denmark, the primary LCS PMAV within the Baltic Sea area, Aug. 24, 2022. The ship and her crew bolstered relations with a key NATO ally whereas undertaking repairs to maintain the ship mission-ready.
“Sioux Metropolis’s historic deployment to Europe, Africa and the Center East is a tangible demonstration of the U.S. Navy’s dedication to our allies and companions and our potential to function across the globe,” stated Rear Adm. Oliver “Ollie” Lewis, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa’s (NAVEUR-NAVAF) Director of Maritime Operations. “Sioux Metropolis was a pressure multiplier to NAVEUR-NAVAF and Sixth Fleet and paved the best way for future LCS operations in theater.”
Together with their embarked air detachment, Sioux Metropolis carried out over 350 hours of search and rescue (SAR) succesful flight operations in addition to quite a few Go to Board Search and Seizure operations whereas deployed. All through the deployment, Sioux Metropolis traveled roughly 27,000 nautical miles and visited 16 ports.
Whereas underway, eight Sailors earned their enlisted floor warfare specialist qualification, 30 Sailors earned their enlisted air warfare specialist qualification, and 11 Sailors requalified. Two Sailors had been additionally superior to the following paygrade, whereas two extra had been meritoriously superior.
LCS is a quick, agile, mission-focused platform designed for operation in near-shore environments but able to open-ocean operation. It’s designed to defeat uneven “anti-access” threats and is able to supporting ahead presence, maritime safety, sea management, and deterrence.
