The US Navy’s future littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15) will enter service in a ceremony at Key West, Florida, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer has confirmed.
The event will take place in August 2019 with the specific date yet to be announced.
The future USS Billings is the 17th littoral combat ship (LCS) to be delivered to the navy and the eighth of the Freedom variant to join the fleet. The Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Billings (LCS 15) during a ceremony at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM), shipyard, Marinette, Wisconsin, Feb. 1.
Delivery marks the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder, part of a Lockheed Martin-led team, to the Navy. It is the final milestone prior to commissioning.
The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Lockheed Martin-led team builds the odd-numbered hulls. The Independence variant team is led by Austal USA, Mobile, Alabama, (for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls).