Littoral Combat Ship USS Little Rock completes acceptance trials
NewsSeptember 01, 2017
MARINETTE, Wis. The future USS Little Rock, the fifth Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) built by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, completed acceptance trials earning the right to fly brooms atop its mast signifying a clean sweep of the ship's sea trials.
The U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) conducted the five-day trails in port and at sea. It represents the last major milestone before the ship's delivery. During the trials, the Navy conducted comprehensive tests of the LCS intended to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship handling, and auxiliary systems.
Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine are now preparing Little Rock for delivery in the coming weeks. Named in honor of the citizens of Little Rock, LCS 9 will be the second U.S. Navy ship to bear the name of Arkansas' largest city. She will be commissioned next to her decommissioned namesake in Buffalo later this year.
The Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine team is currently in full-rate production of the Freedom-variant of the LCS, and has delivered four ships to the U.S. Navy to date. The future USS Little Rock is one of eight ships in various stages of construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine, with one more in long-lead production.
The Freedom-variant LCS team is comprised of Lockheed Martin, shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine, naval architect Gibbs & Cox, and more than 800 suppliers in 42 states.
