Future USS Wichita launches
MARINETTE — The thirteenth Littoral Combat Ship was launched into the Menominee River over the weekend.
The future U.S. Navy ship was christened the U.S.S. Wichita at a ceremony on Saturday at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin.
The ship’s design 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.
The LCS 13 will be the third with that name. The launching was led by a team from Lockheed Martin, an aerospace company.
It will have to undergo more outfitting and testing at the marine before the ship’s anticipated delivery next year.
There are still six ships under construction at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine with3 more in long-lead material procurement.