The breakdown is the second in less than two days for a project that is worth $360 million per ship. Overall, four mechanical failures have already been recorded for the littoral vessels, according to a U.S. Navy statement.
The Coronado is heading to an independent deployment in the Western Pacific when the blunder occurred. It is being escorted by the tanker USNS Henry J. Kaiser on its trip back to Hawaii.
The vessel is an Independence-class ship built by Austal USA in Mobile Alabama. Austal, which has expertise in integrating complex systems into its vessels, is a global defense contractor and a designer and manufacturer of defense and commercial ships. The Coronado is the first vessel delivered by the company as a prime contractor.
In July, the USS Freedom has its engine damaged when seawater got inside the oil lubrication system that resulted in the accumulation of rust in the diesel motor.
The two crippled ships have joined the USS Fort Worth and USS Milwaukee in the list of LCS with mechanical failures since December.
On Tuesday, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson has stated that the entire littoral ship program had undergone a review after the first couple of breakdowns. He has also added that the Coronado and the Freedom mishaps will be requiring an extensive look.
The Navy's littoral vessels come in two variants: the monohull and the trimaran which has three hulls. The Freedom, the Fort Worth and the Miwaukee are built with monohulls.
The Coronado, on the other hand, is a trimaran. These ships have been designed to operate in shoreline environments or shallower coastal areas with a draft of 14-15 feet and a speed of 40 knots.
