US Navy fail: New $550m warship trapped in ice

AN ELITE warship hailed for its speed and manoeuvrability has been left stranded after becoming trapped due to bad weather.

A $550 MILLION warship hailed for its “adaptability, speed and manoeuvrability” has been stuck in ice for a month and could remain there for weeks.

The USS Little Rock, the navy’s newest warship, has been stuck in Montreal since December after becoming trapped in ice on the way to its new home in Florida.

Bad weather caused ice to form faster than expected, trapping the ship in Seaway, Montreal.

Worsening conditions means it will not be able to be moved until weather improves in the northern hemisphere spring.

Commissioned in New York on December 16, the ship was due to set sail for its new home in Jacksonville, Florida when its departure was pushed back by three days.

After finally setting sail on December 20 USS Little Rock made it to Montreal where it remains trapped due to the bad weather.

USS Little Rock forms part of the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship class fleet, which has been plagued by problems, US Today reported.

The entrapment is a blow for the navy’s LCS program which aims to produce ships quickly and cheaply to help patrol some of the world’s troubled waters.

This class of ships are agile and designed for rapid transitions between missions with minimal manning, Fox News reported.

The USS Little Rock set sail for Florida last month. Picture: Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press/AP

They are also used for surface warfare, counter piracy and drug operations, as well as other first response missions.

In a statement Navy spokeswoman Lieutenant Commander Courtney Hillson said significant weather conditions prevented the ship from departing Montreal earlier this month. She said conditions had intensified since.

“The temperatures in Montreal and throughout the transit area have been colder than normal, and included near-record low temperatures, which created significant and historical conditions in the late December, early January time frame,” she said.

Lieutenant Commander Hillson also said the decision to keep the 70 crew in Montreal was down to safety and that it would have limited impact on the ship’s operational schedule.

The ship has been reportedly equipped with heaters and de-icers to reduce ice accumulation on the hull, according to Fox News.