The Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Detroit (LCS 7) arrived at Naval Air Station Key West’s Truman Harbor March 29 to conduct emergent repairs. As a protective measure against the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the ship’s crew of 90 will be limited to the base while in Key West in order to protect its people and maintain mission readiness. There are currently no Sailors onboard Detroit who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have shown any signs.
Detroit departed its homeport of Mayport, Florida, for the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility on its deployment March 15. Detroit has been underway conducting counter illicit drug operations in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South’s mission. Detroit is manned by her Blue crew of more than 90 Sailors, which will include surface warfare mission package personnel, U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment, and an aviation detachment to operate an embarked MH-60S Seahawk helicopter and one MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff Unmanned Vehicles.
USS Detroit (LCS-7) is the fourth Freedom-class littoral combat ship of the United States Navy. The ceremonial “laying of the keel” was in early November 2012 at the Marinette Marine shipyards in Marinette, Wisconsin. The ship was launched on 18 October 2014. The US Navy accepted Detroit into service on 12 August 2016; the ship was commissioned on 22 October 2016. She is assigned to Littoral Combat Ship Squadron Two. In January 2020, Detroit conducted freedom of navigation and intelligence-gathering operations off the coast of Caracas, Venezuela.
