The U.S. Navy commissioned Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 21, USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul – the nation’s eleventh Freedom-variant LCS – in Port of Duluth, Minnesota. This milestone places the ship, built by the Lockheed Martin- led team into active service with the U.S. Navy. Minneapolis-Saint Paul was launched and christened on June 15, 2019. The ship completed acceptance trials on Aug. 21, 2020, and was delivered to U.S. Navy on Nov. 18, 2021. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is the second naval ship to honor Minnesota’s Twin Cities. USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul will be homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Florida.
“The versatility, adaptability and relevance USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul will bring to the fleet is unmatched. LCS 21 is ready for tomorrow’s threats, providing her crew the ability to flexibly deploy advanced capabilities that will deter our adversaries,” said Jon Rambeau, vice president and general manager of Integrated Warfare Systems and Sensors at Lockheed Martin.
Unique among combat ships, LCS is deployed today for close-to-shore missions and is a growing and relevant part of the Navy’s fleet. In the last year, Freedom-variant Littoral Combat ships have supported the Navy on various missions including several counter-illicit drug trafficking deployments in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in narcotics seizures. Its speed, strength and versatility make it a critical tool to help sailors achieve their missions. Recently, the Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship for the first time deployed to U.S. 6th Fleet as a measure of assurance for NATO allies and partners in Europe and Africa.
The Lockheed Martin-led LCS team is comprised of shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine, naval architect Gibbs & Cox, and more than 800 suppliers in 42 states. Built at the Midwest’s only naval shipyard, LCS production supports 12,500 U.S. jobs, including more than 7,500 jobs in Wisconsin and Michigan. Lockheed Martin is in full-rate production and has delivered 11 ships to the U.S. Navy. There are five ships in various stages of production. The Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship is a resilient, flexible warship, designed from the keel up to affordably take on new capabilities including advanced sensors, missiles and cutting-edge cyber systems. Its speed, strength and versatility make it a critical tool to help sailors achieve their missions.
