The U.S. Navy has officially commissioned into service its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship manufactured by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine during a ceremony held Duluth, Minnesota.
USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, dubbed LCS 21, is the second naval vessel to be named after the twin cities of Minnesota and will be homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Florida, the Navy reported Saturday.
The Lockheed-Fincantieri team completed acceptance trials for LCS 21 in August 2021 and handed the vessel over to the Navy in November 2021 after concluding tests of a combining gear modification.
LCS 21 is designed to support sea control, deterrence, forward presence and maritime security operations and capable of operating in near-shore and open-ocean environments.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz; Erik Raven, undersecretary of the Navy; and Vice Adm. Scott Conn, deputy chief naval operations for warfighting requirements and capabilities.
