MARINETTE, Wis., Dec. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lockheed
Martin (NYSE: LMT)-led shipbuilding team launched Littoral Combat
Ship (LCS) 19, the future USS St. Louis into the Menominee River at
the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Shipyard. Ship sponsor
Barbara Broadhurst Taylor, the
daughter of a decorated World War II aviator, christened LCS 19
just prior to launch.
"LCS 19 is the second ship we've christened and launched this
year. Our shipbuilding team has truly hit its stride. We completed
trials on three ships and delivered two more. Once delivered to the
Navy, LCS 19 will be on its way to independently completing
targeted missions around the world," said Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin vice president and
general manager of Small Combatants and Ship Systems. "We remain
focused on delivering these affordable ships to the fleet as
quickly as possible and increasing capability with each hull."
The Freedom-variant LCS integrates new technology and capability
to affordably support current and future missions from deep water
to the littorals. LCS is a highly maneuverable, lethal and
adaptable ship, designed to support focused mine countermeasures,
anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare missions. LCS 19 is
targeted to support the mine countermeasures mission.
Lockheed Martin is in full-rate production and has delivered
seven ships to the U.S. Navy. There are seven ships in various
stages of production and test at Fincantieri Marinette Marine. This
year, the Lockheed Martin-led team began construction on two ships,
delivered two ships, completed sea trials for three ships and saw
one delivered ship commissioned. LCS 13, the future USS Wichita, is
slated for commissioning in Mayport,
Florida, on Jan. 12.
"I am thrilled and very honored to be the sponsor of the future
USS St. Louis. The combination of my family's military background
and the enduring spirit of the great city of St. Louis make this
incredibly meaningful," Taylor said. "This is the seventh ship to
bear the name St. Louis, and I know that the people of our great
city are extremely proud that this distinguished legacy will
continue."
Unique among combat ships, LCS is designed to complete
close-to-shore missions and is a growing and relevant part of the
Navy's fleet.
- It is fast—capable of speeds in excess of 40 knots.
- It is automated—with the most efficient staffing of any
combat ship.
- It is lethal—standard equipped with Rolling Airframe
Missiles (RAM) and a Mark 110 gun, capable of firing 220 rounds per
minute.
- It is flexible—with 40 percent of the hull easily
reconfigurable, integrating capabilities like the Longbow Hellfire
Missiles, 30mm guns, and manned and unmanned vehicles targeted to
meet today's and tomorrow's missions.
"We are proud to be building LCS 19 and her sister ships at the
heartland's only naval shipyard," said Jan
Allman, Fincantieri Marinette Marine president and CEO.
"Today's launch and christening is a testament to the hard work of
more than 2,000 workers who pass through the shipyard's gates, put
on their hard hats and build American warships."
Click here to view social media highlight video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGURiaf-Gq4
Click here to view photos:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/143371902@N04/AT8Bk5
Click here to view B-roll: https://vimeo.com/306583588
Click here to view speaker remarks: https://vimeo.com/306585819
For more information, visit www.lockheedmartin.com/lcs.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a
global security and aerospace company that employs approximately
100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the
research, design, development, manufacture, integration and
sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.
This year the company received three Edison Awards for
ground-breaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and
directed energy.
About Fincantieri Marinette Marine
Fincantieri is the
leading western shipbuilder with a rich history dating back more
than 230 years, and a track record of building more than 7,000
ships. Fincantieri Marine Group is the American subsidiary of
Fincantieri, and operates three Great Lakes Shipyards: Fincantieri
Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, and Fincantieri ACE
Marine. Fincantieri Marine Group's more than 2,100 steelworkers,
craftsman, engineers and technicians in the United States specialize in the design,
construction and maintenance of merchant ships and government
vessels, including for the United States Navy and Coast Guard.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin