The United States Navy has christened and launched the future USS 'Milwaukee' in a ceremony at the Marinette Marine Corporation shipyard, marking an important production milestone for the littoral combat ship program.
The ship joins the future USS 'Jackson' (LCS 6), which launched December 14 following construction at the Austal USA shipyard in Alabama.
These ships are the first vessels procured under the block buy contract awarded in 2010 and represent the true beginning of "serial production" for the class. With serial production, the Navy claims it is able to realise benefits such as improved cost structure per vessel and reduced construction time.
The christening ceremony was followed by a dramatic side launch of the ship into the Menominee River.
The 'Milwaukee' will continue to undergo outfitting and testing at Marinette Marine. The ship is expected to deliver to the Navy in early 2015 following acceptance trials.
The LCS Class consists of two variants, the monohull design Freedom variant and the trimaran design Independence variant. The ships are designed and built by two industry teams, led by Lockheed Martin and Austal USA, respectively.
The 'Milwaukee' is the third LCS constructed by the Lockheed Martin team.
