Littoral Combat Ship Squadron TWO, Surface Division TWO ONE, and USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) hosted Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command, Lt. Gen. Mark A. Brilakis at Naval Station Mayport June 4.

As the United States Marine Corps places greater emphasis on operating from Navy ships, Brilakis, and members of his staff, toured ship spaces on the littoral combat ship and held office calls with Commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron Two, Capt. Shawn Johnston and Commander, Surface Division Two One, Capt. Cory Applebee to discuss possible future plans of Marine Corps and LCS integration, capabilities and strategy aboard the newest class of naval ships in Mayport, Fla.

"We can always put a Marine on a ship, but it needs to be tactical and strategic to win the fight," said Brilakis. "We are looking for gaps that can be filled. We want to take vessels of opportunity and breathe life into them."

LCS provides the Navy a modularity, which can be quickly updated, enabling the U.S. Navy to quickly field and approve new capabilities to counter the newest threats posed by our enemy’s.

“LCS is a fast, maneuverable, adaptable platform designed to operate in near-shore environments as well as open-ocean environments,” said Johnston. “The possible future missions including delivery of Marine units from LCS will expand operational capabilities in various geographic regions.”

As part of the surface fleet, LCS has the ability to counter and outpace evolving threats independently or within a network of surface combatants. Paired with advanced sonar and mine hunting capabilities, LCS provides a major contribution, as well as a more diverse set of options to commanders, across the spectrum of operations.

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For more news from Commander Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2, visit www.navy.mil/.