NORFOLK – The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) departed Naval Station Norfolk for the first time this year to complete Naval Surface Forces Atlantic sea trials March 1, 2021.

During sea trials the crew is scheduled to test critical systems, operations, and personnel requirements needed for deployment.

“These sea trials are the beginning of the basic phase for Kearsarge,” said Lt. Cmdr. Todd Mousel, assistant operations officer of Kearsarge. “It is the first major event at sea for the ship to start demonstrating its ability to be operational by preforming various drills and tests.”

During the sea trials Kearsarge will complete an anchor drop test, a live-fire demonstration using the ship’s close-in weapons system, a small boat recovery evolution, and they will test the aqueous film forming foam fire suppression system.

“This underway is an opportunity for the ship to get the training it needs so we can join the rest of the amphibious ready group and eventually deploy,” said Mousel. “Once we complete all the training drills scheduled, we can move onto the next phase and become one step closer to meeting our goals and fulfilling our mission.”

Mousel said this underway is important because after being in the shipyard for a year, Kearsarge has gained a lot of new Sailors who have never been out to sea. This underway will give those Sailors a taste of life at sea, enable them to become more proficient in their occupations, and ultimately have a better understanding of the mission.

-USN-