According to a Naval Surface Forces, US Pacific Fleet statement:
USS Savannah (LCS 28) conducted a live-fire demonstration Oct 24 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean utilizing a containerized launching system that fired an SM-6 missile at a designated target. The exercise demonstrated the modularity and lethality of Littoral Combat Ships and the ability to successfully integrate a containerized weapons system to engage a surface target. The exercise will inform continued testing, evaluation and integration of containerized weapons systems on afloat platforms.
USS Savannah (LCS 28) was previously spotted sailing out of San Diego with a MK 70 Payload Delivery System (PDS) on its flight deck. USNI News was the first to inquire about the presence of the system on the ship and what the Navy’s plans were for the USS Savannah and the system on its flight deck.
“USS Savannah (LCS-28) will participate in a live-fire demonstration during the fourth quarter of 2023 that will include a containerized launching system. More information will be provided after the evolution is complete,” Naval Surface Forces spokesperson Cmdr. Arlo Abrahamson said in a statement to USNI News.
About the MK 70 Payload Delivery System
As previously reported by Naval News, Washington has been moving fast to field ground-launched long-range missiles, most of these covering ranges that were previously prohibited under the now-dead Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. The treaty prohibited the signatories from having ground-launched missiles with ranges of between 500 and 5,500 kilometers. Following the demise of the treaty in 2019, the US has been moving fast to re-introduce missiles that cover those ranges.
The MK 70 PDS is a launcher system for these missiles. The system has four strike-length MK.41 VLS cells housed in a 12 meter (40 ft) container. The MK 70 PDS is produced by Lockheed Martin and was first unveiled in September 2021 following the launch of an SM-6 by the USV Ranger using the system.
Although the system has been primarily tested with the SM-6s, it is compatible with every missile currently integrated into the MK.41 VLS, including the 1,200-mile (1,600 km) range Tomahawk Land Attack Missile and its variants.
