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Virtual Strike Group Verifies New U.S. Navy Combat Capability in Complex Test

PACIFIC OCEAN – The littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) transits alongside the seventh Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier, USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). Navy personnel evaluated virtual and hardware representations of the the Stennis strike group’s gun weapon systems, combat systems, and unmanned vehicles integrated with surface and air assets at the 2016 USS Dahlgren demonstration, Aug. 30. The test – made possible by a cybernetic laboratory called USS Dahlgren – proved engagement coordination across the battlegroup and live fire destruction of multiple targets from two combatants utilizing two different gun based systems. “This has been five to six years in the making and couldn't come at a better time as we see real-world events such as the recent small boat incursions in the Middle East, highlighting the need for the Fleet,” said Capt. Brian Durant, NSWCDD commanding officer.