LCS 2 delays trials after engine issue

The littoral combat ship Independence postponed starting its builder’s trials by 24 hours Monday after engineers noticed “an anomaly” with the ship’s propulsion plant, and decided to tie back up out of “an abundance of caution,” a spokesman said.

The shipyard crew aboard the Independence noticed an unusual noise in one of the ship’s two main diesel engines just after the ship had pushed off from its dock in Mobile, Ala., said Jim DeMartini, a spokesman for shipbuilder General Dynamics, so it decided to keep the Independence in port another day to investigate. Technicians are confident the ship can get underway Tuesday morning, he said.

“Looks like we’re going to go bright and early tomorrow morning, as far as I know,” DeMartini said.

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