{"id":31800,"date":"2022-05-17T21:45:18","date_gmt":"2022-05-17T21:45:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/05\/17\/littoral-combat-ship-montgomery-conducts-first-land-attack-missile-exercise\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:31:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:31:41","slug":"littoral-combat-ship-montgomery-conducts-first-land-attack-missile-exercise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/training-sim\/2022\/05\/17\/littoral-combat-ship-montgomery-conducts-first-land-attack-missile-exercise\/","title":{"rendered":"Littoral combat ship Montgomery conducts first land-attack missile exercise"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The littoral combat ship Montgomery<\/a> launched three AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles at a land-based target this month \u2014 becoming the first LCS to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While cruising in the Pacific Ocean the ship successfully struck the target several nautical miles away May 12 during a proof-of-concept exercise under the vessel\u2019s surface-to-surface mission module, the Navy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis test proved the critical next step in increasing lethality of the Littoral Combat Ship,\u201d Cmdr. Dustin Lonero, Montgomery\u2019s commanding officer<\/a>, said in a Navy news release. \u201cUsing our speed and shallow draft, we are now uniquely optimized to bring this level of firepower extremely close to shore in support of our warfighters and operators on the beach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ship worked with an MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter for advanced targeting and bomb-hit assessment capability to take down the land-based target, the Navy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe new ability for LCS to conduct maritime strikes bolsters the ship\u2019s role in conducting shaping operations within amphibious and expeditionary warfare areas,\u201d said Lt. Michael Jones, a warfare tactics instructor from Surface and Mine Warfare Development Center, in the release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The missile was fielded for both the Independent and Freedom-variants of the littoral combat ship in 2019, according to the Navy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n