- USS Beloit, the US Navy’s new littoral combat ship was commissioned on Saturday.
- Known as LCS 29, the warship is designed for operations in both shallow waters and open seas.
- The Navy has retired several Freedom-class ships due to maintenance costs and mission capability.
The US Navy commissioned its newest $500 million littoral combat ship, USS Beloit, in Milwaukee on Saturday.
The new Freedom-class warship is named for Beloit, Wisconsin, where defense manufacturer Fairbanks Morse has long built engines and military technology for Navy vessels.
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro touted the Beloit’s improved engineering and advanced combat capabilities, upgrades necessary to surmount the challenges that have dogged the Freedom-class ships.
“USS Beloit reflects many of the engineering and weapons improvements that the littoral combat ship has gained since the Navy first began operating these ships,” he said, adding that “when it receives new capabilities, such as the Naval Strike Missile, it will sail even more confidently in contested waters.”
The new vessel’s commissioning comes as the Navy pushes to scrap some of its extremely young fleet of littoral combat ships plagued by propulsion issues, design flaws, and costly maintenance.