MARINETTE, Wis., Sept. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lockheed
Martin (NYSE: LMT)-led industry team launched the 13th Littoral
Combat Ship (LCS) into the Menominee River at the Fincantieri
Marinette Marine shipyard on Sept.
17.
Ship sponsor, Kate Lehrer,
christened LCS 13, the future USS Wichita, in Navy tradition by
breaking a champagne bottle across the ship's bow just prior to the
launch.
"It is an honor and privilege to serve as the sponsor of the
future USS Wichita and to be a part of this major milestone in the
ship's journey towards joining the great U.S. Navy fleet," Lehrer
said. "I look forward and to an ongoing relationship with Wichita's
future crews and their families throughout the ship's service."
LCS 13 will undergo additional outfitting and testing at
Fincantieri Marinette Marine before the ship's anticipated delivery
next year.
"The christening and launch of LCS 13
marks an important step in her journey towards joining the
fleet," said Joe North, vice
president of Littoral Ships and Systems. "The Freedom-variant LCS
plays a critical role in the U.S. Navy's maritime security
strategy, and we are committed to getting LCS 13 and her highly
capable sister ships into combatant commanders' hands as quickly as
possible."
The Lockheed Martin-led industry team is currently in full-rate
production of the Freedom-variant, with six ships under
construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine and three more in
long-lead material procurement. The ship's design and open
architecture allows the Navy to rapidly acquire and deploy a fleet
of highly flexible and capable ships at a fraction of the cost of
other platforms.
"Fincantieri Marinette Marine is proud to christen and launch
another Freedom-variant warship that will enable our Navy to carry
out its missions where and when needed," said Jan Allman, Fincantieri Marinette Marine
president and CEO. "We continue to optimize our production
processes and leverage the craftsmanship and skills of our
employees to produce these high quality vessels for our
sailors."
LCS 13 will be the third U.S. Navy ship named USS Wichita.
Previous ships to bear the name included a World War II heavy
cruiser (CA-45) and a Wichita-class Replenishment Oiler
(AOR-1).
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 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-variant 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
98,000 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 19,000 employees, of whom more than 7,800 in Italy, 20 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