The US Navy has accepted delivery of two Littoral Combat Ships, the future USS Sioux City and USS Wichita, during a ceremony at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard.
Sioux City and Wichita, respectively, are the 14th and 15th Littoral Combat Ships (LCSs) to be delivered to the US Navy and the sixth and seventh of the Freedom variant to join the fleet. Both will be commissioned later this year; Sioux City in Annapolis, Maryland and Wichita in Jacksonville, Florida.
On the deliveries, Captain Mike Taylor – LCS Program Manager – said: “The future USS Sioux City is a remarkable ship which will bring tremendous capability to the Fleet. I am excited to join with her crew and celebrate her upcoming commissioning at the home of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis.”
“Today also marks a significant milestone in the life of the future USS Wichita, an exceptional ship which will conduct operations around the globe,” Taylor added. “I look forward to seeing Wichita join her sister ships this winter.”
Captain Shawn Johnston, Commander of LCS Squadron Two, also welcomed the ships to the fleet, saying: “The future USS Sioux City is a welcome addition to the East Coast Surface Warfare Division. Both her Blue and Gold crews are ready to put this ship though her paces and prepare the ship to deploy.
“The future USS Wichita is the first East Coast Mine Warfare Division ship,” continued Johnston. “She will have a chance to test some of the latest and greatest mine warfare systems after she completes her remaining combat systems trials.”
LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship designed to meet fleet requirements for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral region. Using an open architecture design, modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles, LCS promises to be a key addition to the US joint force.
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