The US Navy has equipped the littoral combat ship USS Savannah with a Mk 70 launcher for Tomahawk and Standard Missile 6 Block IB missiles

The US Navy was able to equip the Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Savannah (LCS 28) with Lockheed Martin's Mk 70 vertical launch system. This is reported by the United States Naval Institute, which received the corresponding photo.

Here's What We Know

The photo was taken in San Diego. The photo shows the ship USS Savannah (LCS 28) with the US Army Long Range Missile Launcher system installed. It is a containerised Mk 70 vertical launch system built by Lockheed Martin.

USNI has reached out to the US Navy for comment. The service declined to provide details but confirmed the authenticity of the photo. Tests of the containerised launcher are scheduled for the last quarter of 2023.

The Mk 70 is part of the US Army's new family of land-based precision weapons (Mid-Range Capability programme). The vertical launch system is capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles and Block IB-level Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) anti-aircraft missiles. The US Army recently conducted test launches of the Tomahawk.

The Mk 70 is based on the Mk 41 launcher. It is a standard vertical launch system found in the US Navy and allied nations. Lockheed Martin recently delivered four prototypes of the new system to the US Army.

The Mid-Range Capability project is designed to close the Army's need for long-range weapons. With the new launchers, the U.S. Army will be able to fill the niche between tactical ballistic missiles ATACMS, soon to be replaced by Precision Strike Missile, and hypersonic weapons.

The launcher aboard the USS Savannah (LCS 28) was adjacent to the AN/TPQ-53 radar (pictured above). This is a Lockheed Martin radar that is designed to detect enemy firing positions in order to provide counter-battery fire.

Source: USNI