Nation's Seventh Littoral Combat Ship Takes Shape as Lockheed
Martin Team Lays The Keel
MARINETTE, Wis., Nov. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A Lockheed
Martin (NYSE: LMT)-led industry team officially laid the keel for
the U.S. Navy's seventh Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS
Detroit. The event was part of a time-honored keel laying ceremony
that took place at the Marinette Marine Corporation shipyard in
Wisconsin.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121108/NE09610 )
The Lockheed Martin LCS team is building the futuristic
Freedom-variant LCS for the U.S. naval fleet. With the first two
ships delivered, two additional ships in production and two more in
early material procurement, the industry team is addressing the
Navy's need for an affordable, highly-networked and modular ship
unlike any other in the world. This new class of combatants
is designed to support a wide variety of missions including
anti-submarine, surface and mine countermeasure warfare, shipping
lane protection, and humanitarian aid.
"It's an honor to participate in this event for the future USS
Detroit," said Sen. Carl Levin,
D-Mich. "The keel laying ceremony
marks a great milestone for the program and the naval fleet. These
ships are vital to our national defense strategy and their
production contributes significantly to the Wisconsin and Michigan economies."
During the ceremony ship sponsor Barbara
Levin authenticated the keel by having her initials welded
into a sheet of the ship's steel. She was assisted by the Navy's
Program Executive Officer – Littoral Combat Ships Rear Admiral
James Murdoch.
"This ceremony marks the beginning of my commitment to
supporting the future USS Detroit and the brave crews that will
serve aboard her to defend our country," said Barbara Levin. "It is a very moving
moment for me, as I am very proud to serve as the sponsor of
this powerful ship which honors my native city."
The Lockheed Martin-led LCS team includes ship builder Marinette
Marine Corporation, a Fincantieri company, naval architect Gibbs
& Cox, as well as hundreds of domestic and international
suppliers, including approximately 30 small businesses in
Wisconsin and Michigan.
"Marinette Marine Corporation's shipbuilding expertise, coupled
with Lockheed Martin's integrated and automated systems that bring
the capability to fight, operate and support the ship, make the
Freedom-variant LCS a powerful vessel," said Joe North, vice president of Littoral Ship
Systems for Lockheed Martin's Mission Systems & Sensors
business. "The LCS team continues to invest in shipyard
improvements and has applied best practices to ensure we continue
to be more efficient and more innovative with each new ship we
build."
By 2013, industry investment will total approximately
$94 million, which includes nearly
$70 million to date from Marinette
Marine Corporation's Italian parent Fincantieri-Cantieri Navali
Italiani for shipyard improvements.
Lay the keel is a shipbuilding term that marks the
beginning of the module erection process, which is a significant
undertaking that signifies the ship coming to life. Modern warships
are now largely built in a series of pre-fabricated, complete hull
sections rather than a single keel, so the actual start of the
shipbuilding process is now considered to be when the first module
for the ship is erected in place and is often marked with a
ceremonial event.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md.,
Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that
employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged
in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and
sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
The corporation's net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.
About Fincantieri
Fincantieri is one of the world's largest shipbuilding groups,
which in over 200 years of maritime history has built more than
7,000 vessels. It is world leader in cruise ship construction and a
reference player in other sectors, from naval vessels to cruise
ferries, from megayachts to special high value-added vessels, and
ship repairs and conversions. Headquartered in Trieste, the Group
has over 10,000 employees and eight shipyards in Italy alone. Fincantieri operates in
the United States through its
subsidiary Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG). This company, which
serves both civilian and government customers, including the U.S.
Navy and Coast Guard, has three shipyards (Marinette Marine, Bay Shipbuilding, Ace Marine), all located in the Great Lakes
region. Since 2002 Fincantieri has built or has orders to build
more than 100 ships, worth a total of € 22 billion, and has
developed numerous prototypes in each of its business segments.
For additional information about Lockheed Martin,
visit:
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/ms2/ and
http://www.lmlcsteam.com
SOURCE Lockheed Martin