Coronado's profile is unique - the bow is chined, well-pointed and slim with a turret being the only obvious protrusion. Aft of this section is the main superstructure which integrates the bridge as well as the low-profile mast work. A hangar area is also integrated into the backside of the superstructure and a heli-deck takes up the space over the stern. Angled sides are featured heavily in the Independence-class design, giving the vessels a very futuristic appearance (and aiding in its stealthiness).
As built, Coronado displaces 2,300 tons under light loads and 3,100 tons under full loads. She holds a length of 418 feet with a beam of 104 feet and a draught of 14 feet - (the latter quality being utterly important for offshore work). Installed power is 2 x General Electric LM2500 gas turbines with 4 x Diesel generators driving 2 x shafts. 4 x waterjets and a retractable Azimuth thruster allow for fine-tuned maneuvering. The warship can make headway at speeds over 40 knots with an operational range out to nearly 5,000 miles.
Aboard is a crew of 75 with forty of these personnel making up her core operating component (the rest are mission specialists). Systems include the "Sea Giraffe" 3D surface-air radar fit, the "Bridgemaster-E" navigational radar and the AN/KAX-2 EO-IR sensor. She carries 4 x BAe Systems Mark 36 SRBOC rapid bloom chaff launchers as countermeasures.
Her primary conventional armament is a turreted 57mm BAe Systems Mk 110 series deck gun. 4 x 12.7mm Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs) are carried for extreme-close-in work. Her missile component is made up of an 11-cell Evolved SeaRAM launcher unit firing the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) - a short-ranged defense weapon. A 2 x 30mm chain gun module is also noted as is future support for the AGM-114 Hellfire missile.
Beyond her installed armament, USS Coronado is cleared to retrieve and launch a pair of Sikorsky MH-60R "Seahawk" medium helicopters (or similar) from her stern deck. The warship also holds provision for operating the MQ-8 "Fire Scout" rotary-wing Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). These implements provide excellent over-the-horizon reconnaissance and tracking services. The helicopters can also be outfitted with Anti-Ship and Anti-Submarine equipment to further broaden the tactical reach of the ship.
After completion and christening, USS Coronado experience a pair of onboard fires that delayed her entry into service. During 2014 many of her systems were trialed under live conditions and she took on a contingent of Marines during a deployment exercise. In October of 2014 she conducted testing for the MQ-8B UAS.
In July of 2016, USS Coronado took part in RIMPAC ("Rim of the Pacific") - the large maritime exercise in Pacific waters involving dozens of U.S.-allied participants from around the world.
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