The U.S. Navy has christened its newest Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship, the USS Cleveland (LCS 31), during a ceremony on Saturday, April 15, in Marinette, Wisconsin.
The LCS Cleveland was formally christened by Mrs. Robyn Modly, Ship Sponsor and wife of former Acting Secretary of the Navy and Cleveland native, the Honorable Thomas B. Modly.
Cleveland is the 16th and final Freedom-variant LCS and the fourth ship to be named in honor of the city of Cleveland, Ohio. Previous USS Cleveland’s were the World War I cruiser (C 19), the World War II light cruiser (CL 55), and the Vietnam-era amphibious transport dock (LPD 7), decommissioned in 2011.
The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) class are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. LCSs integrate with joint, combined, manned, and unmanned teams to support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.
Had the pleasure of representing the people of Cleveland and Mayor Bibb at this morning’s christening of LCS-31 as the USS Cleveland.
It’s an honor to have the final ship in the Freedom-class line named after our fair city, and it was an honor to represent Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/z7CxserRrx
— Austin Davis (@ItIsAustinDavis) April 15, 2023
The LCS class consists of two variants, Freedom and Independence, designed and built by two separate industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin (for the odd-numbered hulls, e.g. LCS 1). It is a steel monohull design constructed by Lockheed Martin in the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corporation’s shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin.
Our employees are some of the 2,500+ people who construct Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships for the @USNavy. #LCS31, the future USS Cleveland, is the newest of these ships to be christened and launched. pic.twitter.com/pSRkDMD3RR
— Lockheed Martin (@LockheedMartin) April 15, 2023