US Navy commissions littoral combat ship USS Marinette

The US Navy commissioned the future USS Marinette (LCS 25) as the newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) during a ceremony on 16 September in Menominee, Michigan.

LCS 25 is the 13th Freedom-variant LCS, the 25th in the class. She is the first naval warship to bear the name of Marinette, Michigan and the third naval vessel. Marinette (YTB-791) and Marinette County (LST 953) were previously named for the community.

Marinette received its name on Sept. 22, 2016. The name recognizes the contributions of its namesake town and the great shipbuilders who brought these ships to life.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom and the Independence, designed and built by two industry teams. Lockheed Martin leads the Freedom-variant team, the odd-numbered hulls, in Marinette, Wisconsin. 

Austal USA leads the Independence-variant team in Mobile, Alabama, for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls.

Littoral combat ships are fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments.

LCS integrate with joint, combined, manned and unmanned teams to support forward-presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence missions