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The U.S. Navy has for the first time successfully fired a tactical ship-defense missile made by Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems from one of its new coastal combat vessels.In an Aug. 14 test disclosed by Raytheon on Thursday, the littoral combat ship USS Coronado fired a Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) from a SeaRAM defense system, both produced by Raytheon.The missile was launched during a live-fire exercise at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division sea range off the coast of California. The system detected, tracked and engaged an inbound threat and fired a RAM Block 1A missile that successfully intercepted the target, Raytheon said in a news release.

Source: Raytheon ship-defense missile hits mark in test

That’s a year and a half after the ship was commissioned. Wow. And as far as I know, that means USS Independence, the first LCS-2 variant, still hasn’t fired one. Nor has either ship deployed anywhere.

At least with the F-35, we’re going to get a decently armed platform.