The Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Marinette (LCS-25) Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) on Feb. 3 at the builder’s
Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette, Wis.
The odd-numbered Freedom-variant LCSs are built by Fincantieri in Marinette under prime contractor Lockheed Martin [LMT]. The Navy is also procuring even-numbered Independence-variant LCSs, built by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.
Delivery followed the successful completion of acceptance trials by LCS-25 in November. During those trials, the Navy’s Board in Inspection and Survey (INSURV) tested the ship’s main propulsion, auxiliary systems, electrical systems while it demonstrated capabilities like a full power demonstration, steering and quick reversal, anchor drop test, and combat system detect-to-engage sequence.
Following acceptance, the Marinette is moving on to post-delivery certifications and qualifications before it moves to fleet operations.
It is set to be commissioned in June and then will be homeported with other Freedom-variant ships in Mayport, Fla.
Three other Freedom-variant LCSs are under construction at the Marinette shipyard, including the future USS Nantucket (LCS-27), Beloit (LCS-29) and Cleveland (LCS-31). LCS-27 is scheduled to be delivered this upcoming summer. LCS-31 will be the last Freedom-class LCS.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the life of the future USS Marinette. I look forward to the commissioning of Marinette later this year and recognizing the contribution of her namesake town and the great shipbuilders who bring these warships to life, ensuring they are ready to accomplish mission tasking in support of our nation’s maritime strategy,” Capt. Andy Gold, LCS program manager, said in a statement.
The Freedom-variant LCS is generally dealing with a defect in the variant’s combining gear that, without being fixed, severely reduces the ship’s top speed. The contractors produced a fix that has initially rolled out to new ship construction vessels, like DDG-125. The Marinette is the third ship with the fix installed during construction.
Last year, Gold noted every ship between LCS-23 and 31 will have the fix installed during construction as they go through the production line while remaining in-service ships may have to wait years for a fix (Defense Daily, Jan. 18, 2022).
The Navy has been pushing to retire the older Freedom-variant LCSs many years earlier than their expected 25-year service lives due to the combining gear problem and the service canceling the planned anti-submarine warfare mission package due to debilitating technical challenges.
The Navy’s fiscal year 2023 budget request had plans to retire eight of these ships, but Congress’ final authorization bill only permitted the service to divest of four LCSs.