USS America completes combat systems ship qualifications trials

Feb. 3 (UPI) -- U.S. Navy personnel completed the final phase of weapons testing for the amphibious assault ship USS America ahead of the vessel's first operational deployment.

The combat systems ship qualifications trials, or CSSQT, were conducted by a team of Navy and U.S. Marine Corps participants. Testing focused on several of the vessel's main armaments, including the Mark 38 and Mod 2 30mm gun and close-in weapon system.

Navy officials say the trials were held to verify the ship's combat capabilities, and to ensure the vessel's components were installed properly.

"America is the first of its class, so we do tests like these to determine our overall capability to defend ourselves and to make sure our systems operate with peak efficiency at all times," Chief Fire Controlman Donald Reichert explained in a press release.

The Navy went on to add that all weapons aboard USS America were demonstrated successfully during live-fire exercises, and testers were able to establish missile firing procedures.

"We shot literally thousands of rounds through CIWS, thousands of rounds through the Mark 38, and not once did the guns quit due to a malfunction," Lt. Cmdr. Todd Blackman added. "I would put our weapons against any other ship in the fleet right now."

Amphibious assault ships resemble small aircraft carriers, and are designed to project power as part of amphibious ready groups or expeditionary strike groups. The America class is fitted to provide ship-to-shore movement with helicopters and landing craft.

USS America was commissioned by the Navy in October 2014, and is scheduled to make its first operational deployment later this year.