The USS St. Louis left Naval Station Mayport, Fla., on Saturday on its first deployment.

St. Louis, a Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, deployed to support U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations, according to a service news release. The primary mission will be to counter illicit drug trafficking in the Caribbean.

St. Louis set sail along with the “Rangers” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 50 Detachment 4 and embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment.

“I’ve seen this crew work through a challenging schedule in order to ensure we are ready for our maiden deployment to 4th Fleet. We’ve overcome every obstacle put in our way, and we’ve proved we are ready to deploy and execute the mission,” said Cmdr. TJ Orth, commanding officer of the St. Louis. “This will be St. Louis’s first deployment, and the first deployment for many of my crew members, but we are eager to accomplish the mission we have been training for.”

The ship’s size, speed, and agility make LCS ideal for narcotics interdictions, partner engagements and port access, the Navy said.

“I’ve been deployed to 4th, 5t, and 6th Fleet several times on other platforms. This will be my first deployment on an LCS, and I am excited for the new challenge,” said Chief Quarter Master Kyle Stevens. “This crew has worked hard to get to where we are, and it will be a reward for us to see all that hard work pay off.”

LCS ships are a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments. The LCS is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence.