Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus officially announced Aug. 7 that six Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) will be homeported at Naval Station (NS) Mayport, Florida beginning in 2016.
The decision to homeport the ships in Mayport follows previous discussions to expand training and infrastructure to support the continued development of the program.
“LCS was designed for naval operations today and tomorrow, and will be a key component of our fleet for a long time to come,” Mabus said. “The assignment of these six ships underscores just how important the First Coast is to our national defense, and how committed we are to the strategic dispersal of our Fleet. Mayport will soon be a hub for small surface combat ships, and will continue to serve as an important Navy partner.”
Due to Mayport’s existing pier structure and layout, six Freedom-variant ships were chosen to be based at Mayport. The ships are the future Little Rock (LCS 9), Sioux City (LCS 11), Wichita (LCS 13), Billings (LCS 15), Indianapolis (LCS 17) and LCS 19 (name pending).
The homeporting will eventually bring an estimated 900 Sailors and support personnel to the Mayport area. The 900 personnel will be part of the LCS Squadron (LCSRON), LCS crews, mission module detachments, Afloat Training Group Mayport, Center for Surface Combat Systems detachment Mayport, Damage Control School and the Southeast Regional Maintenance Center.
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