The US Navy has awarded a Lockheed Martin-led industry team a contract for a Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), exercising an option to build an additional Freedom-class LCS under a 10-ship block buy arrangement agreed in 2010.
'LCS 25' will be the 11th ship procured under the 2010 block buy contract and the 13th Freedom-class variant overall.
The 'LCS 25' is scheduled for delivery in 2020. The contract award includes funding for seaframe construction, systems integration and testing.
Of the original 10 ordered, three have already been delivered with seven underbuild at Fincantieri Marinette Marine's shipyard in Wisconsin, USA. Lockheed hopes to deliver two a year until the contract is completed.