The US Navy is set to commission its newest Freedom-class littoral combat ship, USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), on 21 November at Veterans Park on Milwaukee’s waterfront.
USS Milwaukee is the third Freedom-variant LCS to join the naval fleet and the fifth US vessel to be named Milwauke to honour the largest city in Wisconsin.
US Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said: "The spirit of the people of Wisconsin is evident in the work of the shipbuilders whose tireless efforts have brought the soon-to-be USS Milwaukee to life.
"It is this spirit that will live on through this ship as it carries the name Milwaukee across the globe and helps ensure our Navy and Marine Corps remain the most formidable expeditionary fighting force the world has ever known."
Capable of reconfiguring for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures, the 388ft-long USS Milwaukee will be powered by four axial-flow waterjet engines to improve performance.
After the commissioning, the vessel will be homeported in San Diego with sister ships USS Freedom (LCS 1), USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), USS Coronado (LCS 4) and the future USS Jackson (LCS 6).
The LCS ships are fast, agile and focused-mission surface combatants designed to provide capable, cost-effective solutions to gain, sustain and exploit littoral maritime supremacy for troops.
The LCS class includes two variants, the monohull design Freedom variant and the trimaran design Independence variant, which are developed by two industry teams, led by Austal USA and Lockheed Martin respectively.
