US Navy christens future USS Marinette

The US Navy has christened its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Marinette (LCS 25), at a ceremony held in Marinette, Wisconsin. 

The keel-laying ceremony for the naval vessel was held in 2019 at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, while the ship was officially launched in October 2020 by the Lockheed Martin-led.

“…Christening of Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 25, the future USS Marinette, marks the next critical milestone in the life of this warship. It’s an honor to celebrate this moment with the many hardworking men and women who both built the Marinette and call this great city home. The Lockheed Martin team is proud of our continued partnership with the U.S. Navy to support enhanced warfighting capabilities to this highly capable class of Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships,” said Steve Allen, Lockheed Martin Vice President, Small Combatants and Ship Systems.

LCS 25 will be the first US Navy ship to bear the name Marinette. The ship’s name honors the city’s significant contribution to the navy’s shipbuilding. Shipbuilding has been part of the fabric of the Marinette community since 1942. Since that time, more than 1,500 vessels have been produced in the city. Marinette is also home to the Freedom-variant LCS, according to the company.

LCS 25 is slated to begin acceptance trials next year.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom-variant team is led by Lockheed Martin and the Independence variant is led by Austal USA.

The LCS are flexible, with 40 percent of the hull reconfigurable, standard equipped with Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) and a Mark 110 gun. With a displacement of 3,450 metric tons, Freedom-variant ships have a length of 118.1 meters, a beam of 17.6 meters and can reach a speed greater than 40 knots.