USS Indianapolis commissioned
The US Navy has commissioned its 17th Littoral Combat Ship, USS Indianapolis, into service in Burns Harbor, Indiana.
USS Indianapolis is the navy’s ninth Freedom-variant LCS, designed to support mine countermeasures, anti-submarine and surface warfare missions,
Joe DePietro, vice president and general manager of Small Combatants and Ship Systems at Lockheed Martin, said: ‘Indianapolis‘ speed, flexibility and lethality bring a unique set of capabilities to the fleet. She is equipped and ready for today’s threats and can easily integrate new capabilities for tomorrow’s threats. Our team is confident Indianapolis will be what the navy needs when the fleet needs it.’
There are seven ships in various stages of production and test at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin, where the Freedom-variant LCS is built. The next Freedom-variant in the class is LCS 19, the future USS St Louis, which is on track to begin sea trials later in 2019.
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