USS St. Louis Completes First Self-Sufficient Engine Repair at Sea
USS St. Louis (LCS-19) recently made U.S. Navy history by completing its first ever self-sufficient engine repair at sea. The St. Louis crew restored a main propulsion diesel engine without any contractor assistance on August 21, while deployed in Tampa Bay, Florida. This at-sea repair enabled the ship to keep operating on its mission – drug interdiction and partner exercises in the Second Fleet area – rather than returning to port for fixes. Navy officials say the milestone underscores efforts to make LCS ships more resilient and ready by emphasizing crew-led maintenance.
St. Louis’s engineering department carried out the repair work after the propulsion engine developed a fault. Sailors spent hours on diagnostic checks, corrective work, and operational testing to restore the engine to working condition. The engineers completed the repair within the deployment timeline as the ship’s supply team rushed the needed parts and equipment on board. Such engine repairs typically required shore-based contractor support before this event. Cmdr. Lee Shewmake, St. Louis’s commanding officer, noted that “the crew now has the technical knowledge and skills with the right parts and tools to maintain our equipment without dependence on off-hull support.” The chief engineer (Lt Cmdr. Jasmine Hilton) praised the team’s “exceptional professional curiosity” and mastery of the ship’s systems for demonstrating high technical skill and training.
The achievement reflects a two-year Navy initiative to boost LCS self-sufficiency. Sailors receive extra training to perform more repairs at sea and ships carry high-demand spare parts on board. This strategy reduces downtime and extends deployments by enabling crews to restore critical systems more quickly. Capt. Mark Haney stated that each recent Freedom-variant deployment has demonstrated “increased operational availability and capability”.
USS St. Louis is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship built by Marinette Marine and was commissioned in 2020. St. Louis is deployed for maritime security, counter-illicit trafficking and exercises with allied navies. Restoring its diesel propulsion at sea is thus vital for keeping those missions on track. Each verified at-sea repair improves deployment predictability and alleviates pressure on busy maintenance yards, enabling ships like St. Louis to stay at sea longer and remain fully prepared for operations.
This innovative engine repair by USS St. Louis demonstrates both the ship’s adaptability and the Navy’s growing focus on crew-led repair skills. It represents a crucial step in ensuring the LCS fleet’s dependability and mission readiness.