The US Navy has announced that it will commission its Freedom-class littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Indianapolis (LCS 17), later this year.
Commissioning will take place on 26 October in Burns Harbor, Indiana, and will be marked by a ceremony to signify the entry of the ship into the US Navy’s active fleet.
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Last month, USS Indianapolis completed acceptance trials in Lake Michigan.
LCS 17 is sponsored by Jill Donnelly, the wife of former Indiana senator Joe Donnelly. The vessel has been built by the Lockheed Martin-led industry team at Fincantieri Marinette Marine yard in Wisconsin.
At the ship’s christening ceremony, US Navy Secretary Richard Spencer said: “The future USS Indianapolis honours more than a city, it pays tribute to the legacy of those who served during the final days of the Second World War on-board USS Indianapolis (CA-35).
“This ship will continue the proud legacy of service embodied in the name Indianapolis, and is a testament to the true partnership between the navy and industry.”
LCS-17 is the ninth Freedom-variant LCS and the fourth ship named after Indiana’s capital city.
After commissioning, USS Indianapolis will be based at Naval Station Mayport.
LCS vessel has the ability to support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare, and surface warfare missions.
The ship is available in two variants, which are the Freedom-class and the Independence type.
The Independence-class LCS ships are built by Austal USA at its shipyard in Mobile, Alabama.
Last month, the Lockheed Martin-led team launched LCS 21, the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, into the Menominee River.
