It has now come to light that last year, the U.S. Navy launched an expedited program to equip Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) with AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles, enabling them to target uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), commonly known as drones. This initiative was a direct response to concerns over Houthi drone threats to American warships operating in and around the Red Sea. The USS Indianapolis became the first Freedom-class LCS to receive this counter-drone upgrade during operations in the Middle East last fall.Interestingly, Indianapolis was deployed between March and November 2024, during which time it also operated in the Atlantic Ocean and around Europe and is also the first LCS from either the Freedom or Independence classes to receive a Combat Action Ribbon.In this video, Defense Updates analyzes how the SSM Module armed with Hellfire missiles adds C-UAS capability to LCS ?#defenseupdates # LittoralCombatShips #usnavy