MARINETTE, Wis., July 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lockheed
Martin (NYSE: LMT)-led industry team officially laid the keel for
the U.S. Navy's 17th Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS
Indianapolis, in a ceremony held at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in
Marinette, Wisconsin.
Ship sponsor Mrs. Jill Donnelly,
the wife of U.S. Senator Joe
Donnelly, completed the time-honored tradition and
authenticated the keel by welding her initials onto a steel plate
that will be placed in the hull of the ship.
"It is a tremendous honor to serve as the sponsor of the future
USS Indianapolis," Donnelly said. "The keel-laying ceremony is a
great milestone, and I look forward to supporting the ship and its
crew throughout the building process. I know the people of
Indianapolis and all Hoosiers will proudly support her when she is
commissioned and enters the Navy fleet."
The LCS's modular design and affordable price achieves increased
capacity and capability so the U.S. Navy can provide presence where
and when needed, with a level of force that will deter and defeat
threats.
"We are proud to build another proven warship that allows our
Navy to carry out their missions around the world," said
Joe North, vice president and
general manager of Littoral Ships and Systems. "We look forward to
working with the U.S. Navy to continue building and delivering
highly capable and adaptable Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships
to the fleet."
The Lockheed Martin-led industry team is currently in full-rate
production of the Freedom-variant of the LCS, and has delivered
three ships to the U.S. Navy to date. The future USS Indianapolis
is one of seven ships in various stages of construction at
Fincantieri Marinette Marine, with three more in long-lead
production.
"On behalf of Marinette Marine,
we are incredibly proud to build these ships for the U.S. Navy,"
said Jan Allman, MMC president and
CEO. "We continue to streamline our processes and leverage the
craftsmanship and skills of our employees in producing these high
quality vessels for our warfighters."
LCS 17 will be the fourth ship to bear the name USS
Indianapolis. A previous Indianapolis (CA 35) is best known for its
role in World War II, where it operated throughout the Pacific
escorting convoys and attacking enemy submarines. Indianapolis' service ended when it was sunk
by a Japanese torpedo on July 30,
1945. Only 317 of the 1,196 sailors serving aboard the ship
survived after five days afloat in the Pacific Ocean. Richard Thelen, a USS Indianapolis (CA-35)
survivor, attended the keel laying ceremony as a representative of
all who sailed on CA-35.
The Lockheed Martin-led LCS team is comprised of shipbuilder
Fincantieri Marinette Marine, naval architect Gibbs & Cox, and
more than 500 suppliers in 37 states. The Freedom-variant's steel
monohull design is based on a proven, survivable design recognized
for its stability and reliability. With 40 percent reconfigurable
shipboard space, the hull is ideally suited to accommodate
additional lethality and survivability upgrades associated with the
Freedom-class Frigate.
For additional information, visit our website:
www.lockheedmartin.com/lcs
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a
global security and aerospace company that employs approximately
125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the
research, design, development, manufacture, integration and
sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and
services.
About Fincantieri Marinette Marine
Founded in 1942,
Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) is located on the Menominee
River flowage into Green Bay. The
largest shipyard in the Midwest, FMM has delivered more than 1,300
vessels to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and commercial
customers, including the technologically advanced Littoral Combat
Ship Freedom variant for the U.S. Navy. In 2008, FMM along with
several sister shipyards also based in the Great Lakes region,
became part of Fincantieri, one of the world's largest shipbuilding
groups and number one by diversification and innovation, with
almost 21,000 employees, of whom approximately 7,700 in
Italy, 21 shipyards in 4
continents. Fincantieri operates in the United States through its subsidiary
Fincantieri Marine Group, serving both civilian and government
customers. Over the past five years, Fincantieri invested more than
$100 million in both capital
infrastructure and its resources to support FMM's transformation
into what is now one of the best shipyards in the United States. Employing approximately
1,500 employees, today FMM is a state-of-the-art, full service new
construction shipyard.
About Gibbs & Cox
Gibbs & Cox, the nation's
leading independent maritime solutions firm specializing in naval
architecture, marine engineering and design, is headquartered in
Arlington, Virginia. The company,
founded in 1929, has provided designs for nearly 80 percent of the
current U.S. Navy surface combatant fleet; approaching 7,000 naval
and commercial ships have been built to Gibbs & Cox
designs.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin