LCS 21 launched and christened
The US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 21, has been launched at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard and christened as the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
The LCS is designed to complete close-to-shore missions, with a reconfigurable hull that can integrate capabilities including over-the-horizon missiles, advanced electronic warfare systems and decoys, and in the future, vertical launching systems or laser weapon systems.
The vessel is capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots, and is armed with Rolling Airframe Missiles and a Mark 110 gun capable of firing 220 rounds per minute.
Lockheed Martin is in full-rate production and has delivered eight ships to the US Navy. This year, Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine will begin construction on two ships, deliver two ships, complete sea trials for two ships and see three ships commissioned: LCS 13, 15 and 17.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Argentina’s submarine and frigate acquisitions resurface with $3.5bn funding plan]()
Argentina’s submarine and frigate acquisitions resurface with $3.5bn funding plan
Buenos Aires set out foreign loans worth $3.5 billion in its draft 2027 budget, opening a contest in which Naval Group and TKMS could lead the field.
-
![AUKUS heavyweight torpedo test raises questions over future armed UUV requirements]()
AUKUS heavyweight torpedo test raises questions over future armed UUV requirements
A heavyweight torpedo firing from the Royal Navy’s uncrewed submarine XV Excalibur suggests a shift beyond surveillance, with allied navies eyeing strike roles for large autonomous undersea vessels.
-
![Industrial teams prepare roadmap for Indonesia aircraft carrier transformation]()
Industrial teams prepare roadmap for Indonesia aircraft carrier transformation
Fincantieri and PT PAL have agreed on a framework to modernise the former Giuseppe Garibaldi, with drones, communications and broader Italian–Indonesian industrial ties involved.
-
![Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?]()
Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?
Payload commonality, combat systems and electronic warfare are emerging as likely priorities as the trilateral partnership balances building submarines with sharing industrial ecosystems.
-
![Singapore expands maritime presence with future-ready Sentinel OPV]()
Singapore expands maritime presence with future-ready Sentinel OPV
Singapore is building space for uncrewed systems and future technologies into its new Sentinel-class OPVs, reflecting a wider move towards adaptable vessels capable of maintaining persistent maritime presence.
