10 July 2014 – (Top photo) Vice Admiral Kenneth E. Floyd, Commander, US 3rd Fleet, Philippine Consul Roberto T. Bernardo, Col. Restituto F. Padilla, AFP Liaison Officer to US Pacific Command and Commodore Randy Garner, Commander U.S. 3rd Fleet based in San Diego, on board the USS Independence or LCS-2, a Littoral Combat Ship, on July 7 at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam during a tour of the ship LCS-2. The LCS-2 is participating in RIMPAC 2014, the largest naval training exercise.
The LCS-2 has a top speed of 44 knots or 81 kilometers per hour, has a crew of 40, excluding specialist mission crew, electronic warfare systems, armament of Hellfire missiles, Mk 110 – 57mm gun, four- .50 caliber guns and two- Mk 44 Bushmaster II- 30mm chain guns. The LCS-2 also carries two MH-60 Seahawk helicopters. END