USS Freedom in Annapolis 076473

This is technically an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The crew told me they removed the props on this day because there were extremely high winds expected. It was very cold with winds gusting over 40 knots on the day I was permitted to photograph this ship. This unmanned helicopter is especially useful when the ship is assigned to hunt for pirates or mines. That is a high-resolution video camera on the nose, in case you were wondering.

The USS Freedom was in port for a few days and open to the public. The Freedom is a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) loaded with remote-control craft including a helicopter, small boat, and a submersible. Only 40 people crew the ship which is capable of cruising at least 46 knots per hour. Jet propelled, it can sail in waters as shallow as 12 feet!

More details can be found here.© 2009 T.H. Williams